The case for Ethernet in automotive communications

Several factors seem to favor the introduction of Ethernet technology in automotive communications. The spreading of Ethernet as an in-vehicle network for today’s cars or for those in the near future is being broadly announced by spokespersons for major carmakers and automotive electronics companies. Even in the scientific community there is a growing interest in the topic, shown by the increasing number of studies on the performance of Ethernet-based technologies such as Switched Ethernet or Time-Triggered Ethernet in automotive embedded systems. This position paper provides an overview on facts and trends towards the introduction of Ethernet in automotive communications and discusses how and to what extent Ethernet technology is likely to step in and provide benefits to the different automotive functional domains. The paper will also discuss which Ethernet technologies would be the possible candidates for the automotive industry.