In-vehicle networking and OTA updates at TU-Automotive expo

Excelfore will be running live demos at booth C233. An in-vehicle networking solution jointly developed with Molex will showcase multiple network standards, including Gigabit automotive Ethernet, 100MG automotive Ethernet, CAN and USB, with a diverse set of sensors, displays and Electronic Control Units (ECUs).

Excelfore and Alpine will jointly demonstrate Excelfore’s eSync solution for Over The Air (OTA) automotive updates to a head unit running Google Android N with the latest automotive functionality, as well as an AUTOSAR-based ECU (Electronic Control System) on a CAN (Controller Area Network) bus reached over a Molex Ethernet Gateway/Switch.

With 150 speakers, a 200,000-square foot exhibition and 3,000 attendees, TU-Automotive Detroit is the world's biggest conference and exhibition for connected and autonomous cars.

Complex network environment
The Excelfore and Molex joint in-vehicle networking demo will present a complex automotive environment with multiple networks. It will include a 1000Base-T1 Gigabit Ethernet backbone between several gateway switches. Each gateway switch will also aggregate multiple 100Base-T1 100Mb Ethernet peripherals and provide a gateway to non-Ethernet networks, such as CAN. The Gigabit Ethernet backbone enables large amounts of data to be transmitted around the car, without requiring many different cables.

The networking demo will include a head unit, three cameras, two seatback displays, and a USB media module to plug in media content. It will also incorporate automotive-related components including ECUs on multiple CAN busses. All of these components will be seen working smoothly together across multiple network boundaries.

OTA updating of multiple devices and vehicles
Excelfore will be showcasing the capabilities of its eSync solution for providing OTA updates to various devices on the in-vehicle networks. The eSync system can reach any number of components in the vehicle, and the demo will show eSync’s ability to update multiple different devices, from different vendors, running different operating systems, across multiple networks through a single OTA update.

Excelfore will also demonstrate for the first time how a single OTA update can reach similar ECUs in different vehicles. In this case, with two distinct and dissimilar networks on display, a single OTA will reach the same model ECU in both in-vehicle environments.

This capability means that auto makers can easily manage the distribution of new software updates across their entire fleet of models, addressing vehicles with differing network configurations and operating systems. This reduces complexity, thus making it easier to complete the update in a timely manner.

The eSync solution provides secure transactions with the vehicle, and with the various devices within the vehicle. It can be used to deliver and update software and firmware over the air, helping avoid the need for costly vehicle recalls, as well as for pulling diagnostics and telematics data from the devices in the vehicle.