Techteal Engineering is a leading provider of consultancy services and electronic test devices for Automotive Ethernet. Our products and services are designed to help organizations like yours streamline their development and testing needs with ease.
Above is a typical media conversion use case point-to-point. The media converters can support various speeds.
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On the Ethernet BASE-TX side, 100 Mbps,1000 Mbps, and now also 10 Gbps, most often connected with RJ-45, but if SFP-port any SFP+ transceiver or DAC can be connected. USB is also available on the market, with some concerns
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On the Automotive Ethernet BASE-T1 side, 100 Mbps and 1000 Mbps speeds are the most common, but now the new 2,5, 5 and 10 Gbps are rising. The most common connector is the H-MTD connector but others like MATEnet, MQS and D-sub are also available.
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However, if there is an SFP port, any SFP+ transceiver or DAC can be connected.
Please let us know what challenges you have in searching for the very best media conversion solution for you? Reliability, flexibility, price, performance. etc?
Single media converters normally provide one dedicated point-to-point line of conversion for 100% reliability. However, perhaps switching could be considered as an option for the media conversion use case if you have multiple devices to convert to/from. Even though it might be a more cost-effective solution with a switch instead of many media converters, there are however some drawbacks going that way.
Consider the below features when you pick a media converter from the market:
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Converts between the desired Automotive Ethernet BASE-T1 and the desired Standard Ethernet BASE-TX various speeds for your use case
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Force Slave mode and link down (input) and provide link status (output) via any connector
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Debugging possible
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SQI (Signal Quality Indicator) support.
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Here are some potential concerns of using a media converter:
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Additional cost: Media converters add an additional cost to the system
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Complexity: Media converters can add complexity to the system, as they require additional configuration and troubleshooting
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Performance: Media converters can introduce performance degradation, especially if they are not properly configured
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Reliability: Media converters are an additional point of failure in the system.
Switching
Central point in a star network
Switching with TSN capabilities, like Automotive gPTP, can increase the complexity of development and testing processes but may solve the challenges of your use cases. We can help you with simple and easy-to-use switch configurations for complex development and test scenarios.
Ethernet networking: The universal connector
In the realm of zonal-based architectures, the unifying thread that ties everything together is the Ethernet network. Within this framework, all data seamlessly transforms into Ethernet frames, readily accessible by all domain controllers along the network backbone. This connectivity is made possible thanks to the widespread adoption of Ethernet-based networks and components.
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At Techteal Engineering, we proudly present an extensive and diverse portfolio of network solutions, featuring Ethernet PHYs that span the spectrum from 10/100/1000 BASE-T to multi-gig Ethernet PHYs, including integrated and digital Ethernet switches. Our aim is to empower OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers with the wealth of our automotive industry experience. By offering a holistic system solution encompassing Ethernet PHYs, Ethernet Switches, and gateway processors, we enable swift time-to-market for your projects.
Please let us know what challenges you have in searching for the very best switching solution for you. Reliability, flexibility, price, performance, easy-to-use?
Consider the below features when you pick an Automotive Ethernet Switch from the market:
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Level of "off-the-shelf": Sign an NDA to get hold of all the features and functions from the chip vendor or just use it out of the box with an easy-to-use configuration tool
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Easy configuration: The Automotive Ethernet Switch should be configured easily via webserver or remote configuration messages. This makes it easy to set up and manage the switch, even in complex systems
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VLAN support: The Automotive Ethernet Switch should support single and double VLANs. This allows you to segment your network into different traffic domains, which can improve performance and security
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Port mirroring and segmentation: The Automotive Ethernet Switch should support port mirroring and segmentation. This will allow you to monitor and control traffic on specific ports
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Wake-up/sleep functionality: The Automotive Ethernet Switch should support wake-up/sleep functionality. This will allow you to power down the switch when it is not in use, which can save power
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Network time synchronization: The Automotive Ethernet Switch should support several network time synchronization standards, including AVNU gPTP, 802.1AS, and PTPv2. This ensures that all devices on the network are synchronized, which is important for many Automotive Ethernet applications
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Dual speed capability: The Automotive Ethernet Switch should be dual speed capable, meaning that it should support both 100BASE-T1 and 1000BASE-T1 devices. This makes it flexible enough to support a wide range of Automotive Ethernet devices.
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Bandwidth reservation: The Automotive Ethernet Switch should support bandwidth reservation. This allows you to reserve bandwidth for specific traffic flows, which can help to ensure that critical traffic is always delivered
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Ingress rate limiter: The Automotive Ethernet Switch should support an ingress rate limiter. This will allow you to limit the amount of traffic that can be received on a specific port. This can help to prevent traffic congestion and ensure that all devices on the network have access to the bandwidth they need
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Advanced data filtering tables: The Automotive Ethernet Switch should support advanced data filtering tables. This will allow you to filter traffic based on a variety of criteria, such as MAC address, IP address, and TCP/UDP port number. This can help to improve security and performance
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Jumbo frame support: The Automotive Ethernet Switch should support jumbo frames. Jumbo frames are larger than standard Ethernet frames, which can improve performance for applications that transfer large amounts of data
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TSN support: The Automotive Ethernet Switch which supports a number of TSN functionalities, including 802.1Qav, Qci, Qbv, and Qbu. TSN is a set of standards that provides deterministic and low-latency networking. This is important for many Automotive Ethernet applications, such as ADAS and autonomous driving.
Automotive systems rely on a broad variety of communication technologies between sensors, electronic control units (ECUs), and actuators. To be able to capture and record Ethernet traffic in vehicles, which can be used for debugging, troubleshooting, and performance analysis, you require a very flexible solution that captures all your in-vehicle data regardless of type (CAN, CAN-FD, FlexRay, LIN, Automotive Ethernet BASE-T1, SerDes, Analogue, etc.).
For proper time stamping and synchronization, support for 1588 or gPTP protocols is desired. The recorded data is packed into Ethernet MAC frames on Layer 2 and forwarded over to a standard Ethernet network (BASE-TX) to a standard PC or a dedicated logger, if available.
TECMP vs ASAM CMP
From the original protocol PLP (Probe Logging Protocol), from BMW, Technica Engineering developed TECMP (Technically Enhanced Capture Modules Protocol) for transporting captured Ethernet frames and status messages over standard Ethernet networks. It is used by Technica's Capture Module products, which are devices that can be used to capture and record Ethernet traffic.
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TECMP is well established and proven, so going towards ASAM CMP (Capture Module Protocol) might be interesting. It is an open standard that defines the communication between capture modules (probes) and data sinks to monitor in-vehicle bus communication and sensor data.
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Both TECMP and ASAM CMP provide a standardized way to capture and record all of this data, regardless of the underlying communication protocol. TECMP or ASAM CMP are both transported over Ethernet, and it defines the mapping rules for vehicle bus communication and sensor data. The ASAM supported protocol CMP makes it possible to use a variety of different capture modules and data sinks from different vendors, as long as they all support the ASAM CMP standard.
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In summary, such a protocol provides a number of advantages, including:
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Scalability: It can be used to scale from small systems with a few capture modules to large systems with hundreds of capture modules.
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Flexibility: It supports a wide variety of vehicle bus communication protocols and sensor data formats.
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Interoperability: ASAM CMP is an open standard, so capture modules and data sinks from different vendors can be used together.
Here are the descriptions of the various TECMP and CMP fields in the table above:
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CM ID: Each Capture Module can be configured with a unique ID. This ID can be used to identify different Modules if they are used in the same network
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Counter: The counter is incremented for each CMP/TECMP frame sent from a Capture Module.The CM ID field is the same for all interfaces in this case
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Version: The used version of the CMP/TECMP protocol
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Message Type: Description of the payload function, whether status, configuration, or bus data
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Data Type: Description of the Type of Source Data (e.g., CAN, LIN, FlexRay, Ethernet, Undefined, Voltage, Current, …). These types are preconfigured and fixed
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Reserved: Pre-filled with 0x0000
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CM Flags: This represents the Start of the Segment and the End of the Segment
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Channel ID: ID that uniquely identifies the log data/bus/link on the IVN
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Timestamp: The timestamp is the time in the past 1ns since
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Length: Length of Source Data
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Data Flags: The Data Flags refer to the messages transmitted on the IVN (100Base-T1, 1000Base-T1, FlexRay, CAN, CAN-FD, LIN)
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Source Data (optional): Data transferred from the vehicle IVN (source data).
Testing suites and software
The Ethernet test solutions help verify that automotive networking and communication systems perform as intended
For development and testing, there is a wide range of off-the-shelf and tailored solutions for network, connectivity, and interoperability testing ensuring new systems conform to regulations, meet customer expectations, and deliver market-leading performance, supporting the entire development process, from R&D to production testing.
What are the test requirements for Automotive Ethernet?
To operate safely, the in-vehicle network itself must be tested and each device’s performance needs to be validated individually and as a complete system. Proper testing of Automotive Ethernet should include the following:
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Conformance testing makes sure that various vendors' data communication interoperates
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Stress testing devices to determine their breaking points
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Verifying resilience by testing worst-case scenarios
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Understanding performance under different impairment conditions
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Validating security features under attack conditions.
Targeted solution areas:
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Automotive Ethernet Testing
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100/1000Base-T1
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2,5/5/10 Gbps (NGBASE) Base-T1
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10/100/1000Base-T MultiGig Copper/Fiber & 10G (SFP+)
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AVB/TSN, including Automotive gPTP, development and testing.
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RFC2544 (throughput, latency, frame loss)
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AUTOSAR conformance
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OPEN Alliance SIG conformance and compliance (TC8, TC11) testing
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Performance testing (by traffic generation from thousands of simulated sources)
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Security and vulnerability testing using an extensive library of malicious attacks.
Flashing stations and rigs
Production flashing stations and tailored rigs for the automated test and validation of Ethernet-based devices and networks.
Let us help you build the rigs now when Ethernet comes into both the in-vehicle networks as well as in the test network architecture. ​
With many of the off-the-shelf products that already are available in the market, we can provide you with the best and most cost-efficient solution for your rig.
The above drawing shows an example of a use case where the ECUs require Automotive Ethernet connectivity. Several ECUs can be flashed with new software in parallel. The operator (via the production PC) can handle many flashing rigs or stations simultaneously, basically serving an unlimited number of software downloads in parallel.
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An option is to also connect the Automotive Ethernet Switches in parallel, with for instance DACs (Direct Access Cables). Opening up for one operator to serve several flashing stations from a single Production PC.
