Introduction

Automotive systems are nowadays complex distributed computer systems with various demands
on networking capabilities. Most automakers share common subcontractors, and in a modern
automotive system more and more applications (subsystems) developed by different
subcontractors are required to interact such as Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) . Different
automotive applications have different requirements on the networking capabilities, resulting in a
number of networking protocols.

An automotive subsystem consists of one or more Electronic Control Units (ECUs). Major automotive
subsystems that rely on networking are relevant to chassis, air-bag, powertrain, body and comfort
electronics, diagnostics, x-by-wire, multimedia and infotainment, and wireless and telematics.

Examples of telematics services and applications are:

• Navigation and traffic information systems - A vehicle equipped with a telematics unit can direct a
driver to a desired location, while providing real-time traffic information for a given route.

• Voice recognition and wireless Internet connection -Drivers and their passengers can receive and send
voice-activated e-mails while on the road.

• Safety systems - Collision avoidance systems, unsafe driving profiling, intelligent airbag deployment
systems. Communications between the vehicle and its surroundings, e.g.,other vehicles and roadside
objects. Automatic airbag deployment notification. Accident and roadside assistance.

• Security systems - Vehicle antitheft and stolen vehicletracking services. Tracking and remote door
unlocking is provided by OnStar TM-equipped vehicles.

• Diagnostics and maintenance services - Remote diagnostics and/or maintenance systems, vehicle and
driver monitoring.

Wireless automotive communications

In this section three Personal Area Network (PAN) standards for in-vehicle communications are
presented:

 Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1)

Originally devised for PAN deployment for low-cost, low-power, short-range wireless ad hoc
interconnection, Bluetooth technology has fast become very appealing also for the automotive
environment, as a potential automoooootive wireless networking technology.

Today, Bluetooth allows hands-free use of a mobile phone either through the car’s audio system or
wireless headsets, resulting in better sound and control, and a safe solution to legislation banning
mobile phone use while driving.
  ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4)

is a new low-cost and low-power wireless PAN standard, intended to meet the needs of sensors and
control devices.

ZigBee provides network speed of up to 250 Kbps, and is expected to be largely used in home and
building automation (e.g., for fire detection, security and access monitoring, heating, lighting and
environment control), and in industrial process monitoring and control systems (e.g., for use in
monitoring and control of industrial processes and equipments, especially in hazardous environments
inaccessible to normal wired systems).

 Ultra Wide Band (UWB/IEEE 802.15.3a)

UWB (IEEE 802.15.3a), or Ultra Wide Band Network speeds offered by UWB are in theory several
hundreds of Mbps, although initially speeds of up to 100 Mbps are more likely.UWB uses very low-
powered, short-pulse radio signals to transfer data over a wide spectrum of frequencies. This broad
spectrum of frequencies makes it tolerant to disturbances, making it attractive for a noisy automotive
environment.

 Wireless Local Area Network

Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) is the general term for any type of IEEE 802.11 network [4]. Examples of 802.11
networks are the 802.11a (up to 54 Mbps), 802.11b (up to 11 Mbps), and 802.11g (up to 54 Mbps).
These networks are used as WLANs

Multimedia and infotainment systems include for example, car stereos, speakers, GPS, monitors, video

games, voice processing, HMI, Internet connectivity etc.

Multimedia

Looking at automotive multimedia and infotainment, MOST, provide communications for multimedia
applications, MOST is commonly used.

MOST was initiated in 1997,mainly intended as a communications network for automotive multimedia
applications and has several supporters such as Audi, BMW and Daimler-Chrysler. Typical MOST
applications are the interconnection of multimedia and infotainment such as video displays, GPS
navigation,active speakers and digital radios. Todaymore than 60 companies are using MOST in their
products.

3.2.1 Other technologies

The area of multimedia and infotainment initially targeted interconnection of personal computers (PCs)
with multimedia devices such as cameras, video recorders and so on. Two of the more common PC
interconnection technologies, Firewire and USB, are now evaluated for use in automotive applications as
well.

Some of the major automotive networks for multimedia and infotainment, together with MOST, are the
following:
[“Domestic Digital Bus (D2B) [14], by the Optical Chip Consortium. It is a ring/star optic network
providing up to 20Mbps communications. D2B is used in some Mercedes-Benz models.

Mobile Multimedia Link (MML Bus) [15] by Delphi Automotive Systems. It is a master/slave optic
network providing 100Mbps communications and plug-and-play functionality.

IDB-1394 (Automotive Firewire) [19], originally used to connect PC devices, but also trying to reach the
automotive market.

USB [45], as Firewire, originally used in the PC market now trying to reach the automotive market.

Automobiles have evolved from having a simple radio with perhaps a cassette or CD player to
having a variety of sophisticated entertainment and information systems that need to
communicate and interact with each other and with a human user. As a matter of fact, automotive
systems are more feature-rich than many other A/V applications such as home A/V distribution,
security A/V systems and industrial applications. MOST offers an optimized architecture for the
real-time transport of audio, video, data and control. It is the backbone of modern infotainment
systems.

Cars today include GPS navigation systems that can work in conjunction with the built-in
telephone to locate a stolen car. Car occupant safety requires the driver to concentrate on
controlling the car rather than on the intricacies of the individual components. Therefore all
features are presented to the driver through a single graphical user interface with a distributed
control philosophy with many automated functions. The car telephone needs to interact with the
stereo system to mute it when a call is requested or received - a feature that also would provide
value in the home. Voice control and hands-free speakerphones require a microphone to digitize
the voice. Display systems are needed for navigation information and DVD playback.

Cars are an embodiment of a sophisticated A/V system where the audio, video and data
information needs to be connected from multiple sources to multiple sinks. These functions are
well suited for applications outside the vehicle as well, whether in home or commercial
applications. For example, the components of a stereo system could interact so that if you turn on
a DVD player it immediately signals the TV to turn on. It sets the equalization curves of the
amplifier to its home theater settings and starts the DVD program without the need for user
interaction. Similarly, if a CD is inserted, the user's favorite music settings can be selected and
the whole system can operate intelligently without requiring much direct user input. MOST
provides a switching fabric as the foundation to create such efficient system architectures with
well defined interfaces.
To be effective all of these subsystems must interface with the users, presenting audio and visual
information in a wide variety of formats to inform and entertain him or her. They must be able to
manage the information to easily present it to the user as it comes from the various components.

The most efficient and cost effective way to continue the innovations in all these areas is to allow
the devices to be developed independently and then be connected together using standard
hardware and software interfaces. Digital interoperability is required to build systems from
modules of different vendors.

Options will be easy to add since the fabric provides the infrastructure to transfer information
from one device to another. Cars, for example, will be customized to each buyer's preferences
right at the dealership and will not depend on a pre-selected list. Safety will be enhanced as
components have well defined interfaces to interoperate and are easily controlled from the user
interfaces.

Media Oriented Systems Transport is a multimedia network optimized for multimedia and
infotainment applications. It is a network originally developed by the automotive industry for the
automotive industry but with wide-ranging applications in many other industries. Its design
allows it to provide a low-overhead and low-cost interface for the simplest of devices, such as
microphones and speakers. At the same time, more intelligent devices can automatically
determine the features and functions provided by all other devices on the network and establish
sophisticated control mechanisms to take away distractions from the driver of the car as different
subsystems try to communicate information to him.

The features of MOST make it suitable for any application, inside or outside the car that needs to
network multimedia information along with data and control functions.

MOST not only defines the physical interconnection between devices but also specifies and
standardizes a lean embedded communication protocol and software framework that simplifies
the development of complete systems and applications to distribute and manage multimedia
content.