Performance assessment of Ethernet 10BASE-T1S networks in automotive applications

The IEEE 802.3cg-2019 standard defines Ethernet 10BASE-T1S. With a data rate of 10 Mbps in half-duplex mode on a multidrop bus, Ethernet 10BASE-T1S is a suitable candidate for in-vehicle networks with zonal architectures to interconnect multiple sensors with the relevant zonal controller. The standard provides optional Physical Layer Collision Avoidance (PLCA) capabilities that support cyclic transmissions without collisions and provide short transmission delays. However, PLCA lacks explicit priority support, while priority is useful in automotive communications to handle different flows with diverse timing requirements. In this context, this work presents a simulative performance assessment of Ethernet 10BASE-T1S with PLCA enabled in a realistic zonal-based automotive scenario. Moreover, the paper addresses how to leverage the PLCA to offer a better Quality of Service (QoS) to the nodes that generate the most time-critical flows, discussing the delays obtained with different network configurations.