Time-sensitive autonomous architectures

Autonomous and software-defined vehicles (ASDVs) feature highly complex systems, coupling safety-critical and non-critical components such as infotainment. These systems require the highest connectivity, both inside the vehicle and with the outside world. An effective solution for network communication lies in Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) which enables high-bandwidth and low-latency communications in a mixed-criticality environment. In this work, we present Time-Sensitive Autonomous Architectures (TSAA) to enable TSN in ASDVs. The software architecture is based on a hypervisor providing strong isolation and virtual access to TSN for virtual machines (VMs). TSAA latest iteration includes an autonomous car controlled by two Xilinx accelerators and a multiport TSN switch. We discuss the engineering challenges and the performance evaluation of the project demonstrator. In addition, we propose a Proof-of-Concept design of virtualized TSN to enable multiple VMs executing on a single board taking advantage of the inherent guarantees offered by TSN.

Automated summary

Autonomous and software-defined vehicles (ASDVs) require highly connected systems that can handle both safety-critical and non-critical components. Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) offers a solution for high-bandwidth and low-latency communication in these complex environments. This work presents Time-Sensitive Autonomous Architectures (TSAA) that enable TSN in ASDVs, using a hypervisor-based software architecture and Xilinx accelerators. The performance and challenges of the project demonstrator are discussed, along with a Proof-of-Concept design for virtualized TSN to enable multiple virtual machines on a single board.