A Review of Embedded Automotive Protocols

The use of networks for communications between the Electronic Control Units (ECU) of a vehicle in production cars dates from the beginning of the 90s. The speci c requirements of the di erent car domains have led to the development of a large number of automotive networks such as LIN, J1850, CAN, FlexRay, MOST, etc.. This paper rst introduces the context of in-vehicle embedded systems and, in particular, the requirements imposed on the communication systems. Then, a review of the most widely used, as well as the emerging automotive networks is given. Next, the current e orts of the automotive industry on middleware technologies which may be of great help in mastering the heterogeneity, are reviewed, with a special focus on the proposals of the AUTOSAR consortium. Finally, we highlight future trends in the development of automotive communication systems. 1 Automotive communication systems: characteristics and constraints From point-to-point to multiplexed communications. Since the 1970s, one observes an exponential increase in the number of electronic systems that have gradually replaced those that are purely mechanical or hydraulic.