Real Time Ethernet for Heavy-Duty Vehicle Powertrain Control

Big players in heavy duty vehicles market are evaluating standard Ethernet solutions, both free and proprietary, as for example John Deere Company with EtherCat, which is trying to identify a solution, that would match real time and safety requests, without losing compatibility with other services; these services are useful, for instance, to remotely control the vehicle conditions, to increase productivity, to implement fleet management and to plan working sessions in real time. The paper will show a modified communication protocol based on WI-FI, based on products off-the-shelf, fully compatible with existing protocols, but enriched with a real time, high priority communication layer, capable to offer a real time, low latency and high bandwidth communication from electronic control units of a heavy duty vehicle. The paper will show the advantages of this novel approach to the standard TCP/IP protocol, demonstrating both the real time and the bandwidth available, exploring possible scenarios in machine control that are today impossible. Moreover, the paper will show a series of possible integrations with services that are contemporary market needs, as for example software ECU update through the Internet, remote diagnosis and remote working task programming or updating, as well as data management in real time, as well as making available functionalities to the robotic systems of which will be equipped the machines of the future. The advantage of the proposed solution is related not only in an open solution already available, but also in a transparent interoperability between network services, due to the standard hardware solution adopted. The overall cost of the in vehicle electronic systems will be lower than any other solution with comparable services available, due to the usage of the same network protocol, even if in a modified version.