Design and simulation of automotive communication networks: the challenges

In the last few years the amount of electronics inside cars has increased significantly. Current vehicles have implemented highly distributed electronic systems. The high number of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and the high amount of data which must be exchanged require high bandwidth and reliable communication systems. Flexray is the communication protocol developed to fulfill these requirements. Due to its higher data rate and consequent bit length reduction, Flexray has more restrictive specifications than its precursor. One of the main goals of the communication network designers is on ensuring sufficient signal integrity at the analog bus. Behavioral simulations can be a useful tool for forecasting design problems and for supporting architecture decision. In this context, the paper explains the main reasons for analyzing the Electrical Physical Layer (EPL), lists the advantages of using behavioral simulations and provides a detailed overview of the challenges related to network design and verification. Moreover, it illustrates the impact of different aspects by way of dedicated use cases, such as topology decision and aging effects, on the signal integrity and therefore on communication quality and system robustness.