Automotive Gateways

Automotive gateways are ECUs that enables secure and reliable communication among the vehicle’s electronic systems. It serves a critical role in vehicle security, in addition to performing data routing functions, and supporting new, vehicle-wide applications.

It is the place where all this data meets.

Gateways – how many?

There can be several in a vehicle. Multiple domain gateways and a centralized gateway. As cars have more ECUs (electronic control units) better communication is needed between them. Hence, their important role. Also, digitized communication increased the data rate. And Ethernet is a game-changer. 

The central gateway connects the domain controllers. Consequently, the domain gateway does the same thing but within a domain. Therefore, these need more and more processing power. Especially with OTA communication.

TCU

A TCU is an ECU, but one that connects to the cloud or the internet. As the demand for this kind of in-car connectivity grows, so does the complexity.

Also, as the market shifts toward more autonomy in driving, vehicles not only connect within but with the outside infrastructure, with other vehicles or even with people.

Classically, gateway processors were 32-bit microcontrollers that supported lower speed interfaces like CAN (Controller Area Network), LIN (Local Interconnect Network) and FlaxRay. These are not becoming obsolete.

In conclusion, these ECUs are evolving and are bringing the market closer to autonomous driving, playing the important role of interconnectivity. Innovation wouldn’t be possible without this technology. Especially since customer demand is shifting towards a digital life.

Our gateway expertise:

• LIN, CAN, CAN FD MOST, Ethernet, BroadR-reach, FlexRay;
• Integrated diagnostics
• Routing of CAN / LIN messages based on OEM routing table
• Failure management

We provide customized software, hardware, mechanical design solutions, and system testing for the most diverse vehicle architectures and OEM strategies.

Find out more about what AROBS does when it comes to automotive engineering, here.