Design and Realization of an IP-based In-Car Network Architecture

The requirements for in-car communication networks are constantly growing. A high amount of electronic control units with increasing communication demands have to be connected by a multitude of different automotive specific network technologies. All these facts lead to an increasing complexity and accordingly higher production cost. To cope with these challenges there is a vision to do a radical step: The use of the Internet Protocol (IP) as an overall communication technology. This paper describes the design and realization of an IP-based in-car network architecture that replaces the existing in-car network technologies. We describe the benefits of the Internet Protocol as the enabler for future innovative in-car applications and define mechanisms to obtain the required quality of service and real-time behavior. Finally, we describe the implementation of an experimental vehicle with an integrated IP network as a proof of concept that covers all communication domains in the car.