Challenge of Ethernet Use in the Automobile - Flexible interfaces and software tools simplify ECU development

It is already state-of-the-art technology to transmit camera images in vehicles at 100 MBit/s over a cost-effective, unshielded twisted pair connection. This technology is known as BroadR-Reach, which is standardized by the OPEN Alliance SIG consortium [1]. The next objective is to use Ethernet as a network for infotainment and driver assistance systems by 2015. Some OEMs predict that Ethernet will become a backbone technology starting as early as 2018 [2]. As described in a number of professional articles [3, 4], Ethernet offers flexibility, scalability and cost advantages in automotive use, especially in combination with certain Internet Protocols (Figure 1, [1]). Moreover, it offers the opportunity to enrich the proven automotive development process with methods from the IT world. Challenges of an Automotive Ethernet Test Solution