Rohde & Schwarz, a member of the industry body IEEE and OPEN Alliance, is accelerating the development of the new automotive Ethernet variant 10BASE-T1S by offering compliance and trigger & decode options. Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), a global semiconudctor leader that bridges the physical and digital worlds to enable breakthroughs at the Intelligent Edge, is one of the major providers of connectivity solutions in automotive. Rohde & Schwarz worked with ADI to use the R&S MXO 4 and 5 series oscilloscope with the R&S MXOx-K560 option to decode the 10BASE-T1S communication. The 10BASE-T1S Ethernet to Edge Bus, named E2BTM from ADI provides a low complexity, high flexibility edge node implementation for automotive applications. The oscilloscope, renowned for its fast update rate and deep memory, is proficient in capturing, triggering and decoding packets quickly as well as capturing both the big picture and smallest details of electrical signals with unparalleled accuracy. It is also able to detect intermittent faults in the communication bus with fast acquisitions.
10BASE-T1S (IEEE 802.3cg) is a type of Ethernet networking technology that is designed for use in automotive and industrial applications, and 10BASE-T1S E2BTM products from ADI enable highly optimized yet flexible hardware-based Ethernet edge node connectivity solutions. The new variant is not just introducing a new lower speed grade of 10 Mbps over distances of 25 meters and beyond but also adding novel capabilities such as multi-drop transmission, thus eliminating the need for a switch. By eliminating the need for microcontrollers at the edge nodes, ADI’s E2B™ solution enables the centralization of all software to help enable next-gen zonal architectures and software-defined vehicles (SDVs). This technological advancement is particularly applicable for linking sensors and actuators throughout the car body, powertrain, and beyond to a domain or zonal controller.
On the R&S MXO series oscilloscopes, the decoded packets are displayed in a color-coded manner, thereby making it straightforward for ADI engineers to identify crucial protocol messages such as Beacon, Commit and MAC frames. This allows for more efficient test validation, thus helping to enable shorter time to market. The 10BASE-T1S takes advantage of the new PLCA (Physical Layer collision avoidance) technology, making it essential to verify the timing and performance of various nodes connected onto the network. The time alignment of all decoded frames with the captured waveform simplifies debugging and facilitates precise timing measurements. ADI engineers can switch between various data representations such as DME symbols, scrambled, or unscrambled, providing valuable insights into the captured network traffic.
10BASE-T1S Ethernet technology offers additional advantages by supporting a high number of nodes on a single network, making it ideal for complex systems. Its short reach and low data-rate make it energy efficient and cost-effective. ADI’s innovative approach to 10BASE-T1S ensures that SDVs can deliver true value to OEMs by reducing form factors, cutting costs at the edge, lowering boot times, and offering bounded low latency, power saving, timestamping, and timed actuation, so that all nodes in the system are synchronized and operate seamlessly.
Fionn Hurley from ADI remarked: “ADI uses Rohde & Schwarz oscilloscopes, delivering reliable and precise measurements for our industry leading 10BASE-T1S solution. This reinforces our commitment to offering high-quality, robust technology solutions to our customers. ADI takes a holistic approach to system design and understands the complexity of the challenges faced by our customers and helps them overcome these challenges. We’re helping to drive the automotive industry towards a smarter, more efficient future.”
With the R&S MXO series oscilloscope, engineers can further leverage its high-performance capability to debug their 10BASE-T1S communication link. Standard debug tool like the spectrum mode, zone triggers and fast acquisitions makes it easy to detect anomalies on the bus. Furthermore, using the MXO’s ability to make standards-compliant 10BASE-T1S measurements in accordance with the IEEE 802.3cg and OPEN Alliance TC14 specifications, enables the automotive industry to ensure performance and interoperability of this growing automotive network technology.
