EDA Tools for IoT based V2V Net

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V communication) is the wireless transmission of data between motor vehicles and cloud to keep track of traffic and routes. V2V communication is a must for today’s traffic management and thus many companies are working on pilot v2v networks. This article will show up some suitable EDA tools and solution to design v2v net.

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V communication) is the wireless transmission of data between motor vehicles. The goal of V2V communication is to prevent accidents by allowing vehicles in transit to send position and speed data to one another over an ad hoc mesh network. Depending upon how the technology is implemented, the vehicle’s driver may simply receive a warning should there be a risk of an accident or the vehicle itself may take preemptive actions such as braking to slow down. V2V communication is expected to be more effective than current automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) embedded systems for lane departure, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, rear parking sonar and backup camera because V2V technology enables an ubiquitous 360-degree awareness of surrounding threats. V2V communication is part of the growing trend towards pervasive computing, a concept known as the Internet of Things (IoT).

The implementation of V2V communication and an intelligent transport system currently has three major roadblocks: the need for automotive manufacturers to agree upon standards, data privacy concerns and funding. As of this writing it is unclear whether creation and maintenance of the supporting network would be publicly or privately funded. Automotive manufacturers working on ITS and V2V include GM, BMW, Audi, Daimler and Volvo.

The commercial introduction of broadband wireless communication technology such as UMTS or WiMAX facilitates the connection of vehicles with the Internet and hence with a broad range of service providers. It thus paves the way for the second generation of telematic services, which is referred to as Vehicle-to-Business communication. It allows for the enhancement of existing enterprise applications as well as the identification and realization of novel business models, but requires an appropriate infrastructure on top of the aforementioned communication technology. This article presents an integration architecture with which to realize an efficient and secure information exchange between vehicles and back-end services, and points out the potential of the Internet of Vehicles. Based on comprehensive research activities and the support of the European Commission, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) will soon reach market introduction. Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication centres particularly on application scenarios in the area of traffic safety and efficiency, as for instance Green-Light Optimal Speed Advisory or Traffic Jam Ahead Warning. The recently defined standard IEEE 802.11p for inter-vehicular communication, designed according to the specific requirements of V2V interaction, constitutes an essential step towards this next phase. However, since message exchange between vehicles is based on vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), V2V interaction is subject to large network effects. Due to the short reach of inter-vehicular connections, a certain market penetration is required to provide value for drivers. Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communication represents the second field of ITS. It covers the information exchange between vehicles and roadside infrastructure equipped with wireless communication technology such as traffic lights or warning signs for road works. V2I facilitates the interaction of vehicles and roadside units to enhance the aforementioned application scenarios. Moreover, those units may be used as additional hops to augment the reach and thus the overall value of inter-vehicular communication. Besides V2V and V2I, the commercial introduction of UMTS, WiMAX and similar broadband wireless access technology, as well as the proliferation of WLAN-based (IEEE 802.11) multihop access networks and hotspots, paves the way for the second generation of telematic services. Such technology allows vehicles to be connected to the Internet and therefore with a broad range of service providers. In addition to infotainment and entertainment services, this Internet of Vehicles facilitates the interconnection of vehicles with commercial business services provided by enterprise applications. For that reason, the second generation of telematic services is referred to as Vehicle-to-Business (V2B) communication. V2B covers a multitude of application scenarios, as for instance remote management of embedded systems, Vehicle Relationship Management (VRM), and the novel insurance concept of usage-dependent tariff models such as Pay As You Drive. The main challenges for an efficient V2B communication are the uncertain connectivity of vehicles, the frequency of changes in network topology due to the vehicles’ mobility, as well as their resource-constrained onboard units. To account for these demands, SAP Research is currently working on a service-based, distributed integration architecture based on state-of-the-art technology to realize a flexible, scalable and secure V2B interaction covering a multitude of vehicles and diverse (legacy) enterprise applications. Based on the complementary architecture patterns Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Event-Driven Architecture (EDA), the V2B integration architecture specifies two dedicated components: the Vehicle Integration Platform (VIP) as a back-end system and the Back-end Integration Manager (BIM) as the related in-vehicle component. The VIP is a Web services-based back-end system that covers multiple components to realize an efficient information exchange between vehicles and enterprise applications. The in-vehicle component BIM is designed to connect a vehicle with the VIP and hence with enterprise applications. It encapsulates vehicle applications as Web services and provides additional functionality such as message caching, message prioritization and the rescheduling of message delivery. The BIM thus applies the Devices Profile for Web Services (DPWS) specification, which allows for secure Web services operations on resource-constrained devices.

V2B communication provides invaluable potential for both service providers such as vehicle manufacturers and insurance companies, and the drivers as end customers. Thus, for example, VRM covers the periodic polling and analyzing of in-vehicle systems and sensors by a vehicle manufacturer. Such a large amount of product life-cycle data might be used to improve the product design and quality or to enhance the planning of production and procurement. Hence, VRM might result in a reduced forecast error and a decrease in safety stocks. Moreover, information about driving behavior can be analyzed to provide personalized product and service offerings, which comprise warranty and maintenance as well as value-added services. An effectively operated VRM might further result in an intensified and enhanced Customer Relationship Management (CRM) due to the potential growth in customer loyalty. The ability to make use of a comprehensive set of vehicle data during the entire life cycle as well as the offering of customer-specific services facilitates not only enhancements of existing services but also the identification and realization of novel business models. The aforementioned usage-dependent insurance concept Pay As You Drive represents only one example of the overall potential. Due to its modular design and the application of state-of-the-art technology, our V2B integration architecture provides a valuable foundation for further developments to the Internet of Vehicles.

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)

ADAS enable better situational awareness and control to make driving easier and safer. Adas technology can be based on systems local to the car that is vehicle resident systems such as vision and camera systems, and sensor technology – or can be based on smart, interconnected networks as in the case of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) or vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) systems, jointly known as V2X.

V2X communications use onboard dedicated short-range radio communications devices to transmit safety related messages about a vehicle’s speed, heading, brake status, vehicle size and so on to other vehicles and receive the same information about other vehicles from these messages. Using multi-hops to transmit messages through other nodes, the V2X network can communicate over long distances. This longer detection distance and ability to see around corners or through other vehicles helps V2X-equipped vehicles perceive some threats sooner than sensors, cameras or radar can, and warn their drivers accordingly. Apart from the basic safety message developed for safety applications, the network may also be used by other connected vehicle applications such as mobility or weather. Additional messages from vehicles or from the infrastructure may also be developed in the future.

With V2I, the potential safety advantages of a wide-scale implementation are enormous. The following is a list of V2I potential safety applications:

• Red light violation warning;
• Curve speed warning;
• Stop sign gap assist;
• Reduced speed zone warning;
• Spot weather information warning;
• Stop sign violation warning;
• Railroad crossing violation warning; and
• Oversize vehicle warning.

Warning alarms not only inform the vehicle and driver responsible for the safety violation, but through the wireless link they can warn other nearby vehicles, for example cross-traffic when a red light or stop sign is being run at a blind corner, thus helping to prevent collisions.

Renesas Electronics R-Car W2R 5.9 GHz Band Automotive Wireless Communication SoC

Suitable for Vehicle-to-Vehicle and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Communication (V2X) World’s First Device to Deliver Automotive Wireless Communication Solution Capable of Delivering Low-Noise Features Meeting European ETSI Standard, Allowing Practical Implementation of V2X in ADAS Systems

Renesas Electronics Corporation, a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the R-Car W2R system-on-a-chip (SoC), the first member of the new Renesas R-Car Family of devices developed specifically for V2X applications. The new automotive wireless communication SoC is designed for Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communication in the 5.9-gigahertz (GHz) band. The R-Car W2R delivers top-class performance when using Renesas’ exclusive radio frequency (RF) system design technology. It is the first device of this type capable of reducing out-of-band transmit emissions to less than −65 decibel-milliwatts (dBm) achieving the requirements of the European standards organization European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). Transmitting high-quality signals with very little interference makes it possible to incorporate V2X into various types of Advanced Driving Assistance System (ADAS) applications, such as forward collision warning and lane keep assistance. The R-Car W2R also conforms to the IEEE 802.11p communication standard for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) used in Europe and North America.

Previous safe driving assistance systems relied on technologies such as camera images, infrared signals, and milli-wave radar. However, there are tradeoffs with these, such as the inability to track traffic conditions over wide areas and difficulty obtaining information on vehicles approaching intersections where visibility is poor. V2X aims to reduce vehicular accidents and traffic congestion by enabling direct, bi-directional communication between vehicles (V2V) and between vehicles and signal devices or road signs (V2I), without the need to route data through the cloud. V2X communication standards are being adopted in various countries, and a number of companies, including Renesas, are accelerating development work in this area with the expectation that V2X will become an important technology for drivers in the years ahead.

Europe and North America have already adopted the IEEE 802.11p 5.9 GHz band wireless communication standard, which enables vehicles to obtain information on approaching vehicles outside line of sight and over a wide area. The R-Car W2R complies with this standard and enables the reliable collection of information on vehicles and infrastructures over a wide area to enable high-quality signal transmission. When combined with existing products based on the R-Car platform, it enables bi-directional V2V and V2I communication of information that cannot be picked up using camera images or radio waves. This allows ADAS systems development for enhanced safety and comfort, making it possible to alert the driver with accurate, real-time information.

Key features of the R-Car W2R SoC:

• Exclusive RF system design technology that reduces out-of-band transmit emission to less than the −65 dBm level for the first time ever: The R-Car W2R is based on exclusive RF system design technology that reduces noise generation by the chip itself and combines with a filter to block external noise, resulting in the suppression of out-of-band noise to less than the −65 dBm level for the first time ever in a device of this type. This satisfies the demanding requirements set by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and delivers leading level of low out-of-band noise. This also makes it possible to track traffic conditions over wide areas and to obtain accurate information on vehicles approaching intersections where visibility is poor. Thus, 5.9 GHz band wireless communication can now be incorporated into driver assistance systems requiring the highest level of safety.
• IEEE 802.11p compliance and single-chip integration of communication functions from RF to the physical layer and the data link layer: The R-Car W2R integrates the V2X communication functionality for linking RF to both the physical and the data link layers in a 10 mm x 10 mm single package. This contributes to the compactness of vehicle information systems. Previously, separate chips were needed to link the RF and the physical layer and the RF and the data link layer. The R-Car W2R leverages Renesas technology to miniaturize analog circuit designs and mixed analog-digital design technology to accurately analyze the effects of noise generated by digital circuits on analog circuits.
• V2X ecosystem helps system manufacturers reduce development time and costs: To help reduce ADAS design complexity for system manufacturers working with the new R-Car W2R, Renesas has developed a starter kit, which combines all the components required in a V2X unit including the R-Car E2 SoC, which implements security IP ideal for V2X applications, and along with drivers and software verified with ITS protocol partners. The reference design, in which the R-Car W2R is integrated in a compact module with RF components in an optimized design, is available with the related design information to help reduce the initial design time and costs. All the components required in a V2X unit including the R-Car E2, which implements security IP ideal for V2X applications, are provided as part of a starter kit that also comes with drivers and software verified with ITS protocol partners. The system manufacturers can utilize the starter kit and Renesas ecosystem partners to migrate their own software, reducing the time required for verification testing and other processes.

Mentor Graphics Volcano Automotive Network Design Tools

The Mentor Graphics Volcano solution provides SAIC with comprehensive networking and data communication design tools that support the development of in-vehicle networking systems. By using Volcano, network design is made easy and predictable, guaranteeing data communication, which reduces the verification effort to almost zero and eliminates warranty and change costs caused by networking issues. SAIC will use the Volcano TELLUS test and validation tools to automatically verify the communication parameters of the vehicle. Mentor Graphics’ Volcano suite for automotive networking enables manufacturers to develop our vehicles’ multiplexed communication systems substantially quicker than starting from new platform design. SAIC design engineers can focus on the vehicles’ characteristics, leaving the implementation of the communication to the Volcano tools. The tool suite is the ideal solution for companies like SAIC, challenged with taking a technological leap in terms of introducing multiplexed solutions concurrent with launching a new car. Automotive networking software allows the user to manage:

• Real-time requirements in the distributed computer system
• Changes in communication requirements and architecture
• Version and variant control

With traditional products the user to must manually define frames and typically can’t tell if the system will even work until it has been tested, Volcano network design tools allow the user to define the correct requirements prior to testing. Unlike the more traditional design approach, in which the initial design effort relies on a trial-and-error approach, Volcano enables a “design-to-correctness” process that includes:

• Automatic communication design
• Mathematical timing analysis
• Seamless connection to the implementation
• Automatic verification of communication parameters with respect to timing

Volcano Network Architect (VNA) is a CAN and LIN communication design tool that supports system engineering development processes. VNA is a standalone tool suitable for integration in legacy design processes, as well as the ideal foundation for building a system engineering-based communication design process. VNA connects easily to other tools, e.g., enterprise-wide communication databases. VNA enables an increase in the productivity of communication design and testing processes, while at the same time improving end-result quality. High level requirement-capturing in the early design phase, Implemented timing model to obtain guaranteed message latencies, Automatically maps signals into frames for better use of network bandwidth, Perfect filtering of frame IDs to lower the interrupt load of the CPU and Automatic and seamless gate-waying to minimize interrupt load of certain ECUs

• Automatic and/or manual creation of the communication matrix based on signal timing requirements.
• Automatic and/or manual gateway definitions
• Automatic and/or manual schedule table definitions
• Definition of “fixed” nodes to facilitate handling of “carry over” ECU designs.
• Connect to other tools through its import/export interface supporting FIBEX XML, LIN Node Capability File, .dbc
• Version and variant management of ECUs, signals etc.
• Verify that timing requirements of individual signals and/or complete frames are fulfilled by the network design
• Special support for “frame-based” timing to support legacy ECUs where no signal timing information is available.
• End-to-end timing analysis for data, over several gateways if required.
• Detects if there is risk for dataloss, like frame being overwritten at the receiver or transmitter.
• Consistency checks of the communication system
• Requirements capturing – Store communication requirements for signals, nodes, functions
• Automated communication design – Signal packing, Frame identifier assignment and Gateway routing
• Timing analysis – Guaranteed message latencies, even for gatewayed signals over any number of gateways
• Consistency checking – Ensures errors are captured as early as possible in the process
• Measures architecture’s feasibility – Bus utilization, Timing requirements & Implications of adding carry-over ECUs

RoadLINK – Interface & Connectivity technology from NXP and Cohda Wireless

Intelligent transport system (ITS) technology allows cars to communicate with each other as well as with intelligent traffic infrastructures. The IEEE802.11p Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) standard allows cars to securely connect to each other as well as to infrastructure, helping to reduce road accidents, saving people’s lives, reducing CO2 emissions and improving traffic flow. RoadLINK technology, developed by NXP and Cohda Wireless, exchanges messages reliably across an extended range at high speed, cutting ‘time to react’ and communicating potential hazards and safety-critical scenarios significantly faster than conventional applications. The leader in V2X trials, RoadLINK offers the robust and secure foundation for creating ITS all around the world. Supporting both DSRC (IEEE 802.11p) and Wi-Fi (802.11abgn) wireless standards, RoadLINK can upload and access data via home Wi-Fi and hotspot connections. The NXP Road LINKTM chipset is the basis for the V2X communications demo. The chipset, which is small enough to be mounted in a rooftop shark’s fin antenna, uses a multi-standard ITS architecture, including IEEE 1609.2 security for key storage and message signing. Working with Econolite, a leading transportation solution provider and manufacturer of advanced traffic controllers, the NXP connected car demos highlight connectivity between intelligent traffic lights, NXP/Cohda onboard units and an electrical motorbike from Zero.

Technological innovations often lead to changes in our driving styles, whether it’s start-stop technology, parking assist or blind-spot detection. Fast becoming the proven ITS technology of choice, RoadLINK V2V and V2I implementations will make driving safer, smoother, less frustrating and more eco-friendly, as well as open up fruitful commercial services. The robust RoadLINK platform supports accepted standards (such as IEEE802.11p) and various OEM configurations, and offers a high level of security. Flexible and scalable, it enables a diverse range of applications, from traffic control to commercial use-cases such as toll collection and driver services.

Cadence ConnX DSPs for Baseband/Communications

Tackling the Hard Tasks in the Dataplane

Cadence offers more ways to perform complex signal processing than any other IP company. Cadence offers a full range of processors and DSPs for the best combination of high performance, low power, and small area, exactly tailored to your application. From the lightweight dual-MAC ConnX D2 to the super-high-performance 64-MAC ConnX BBE64EP, these designs are ready to run. Go with the industry’s best performing and most compact low-power DSPs for applications from SmartGrid to 802.11 AC modems and LTE-Advanced. Cadence offers several special-function processors so you don’t have to design these common functions, and you can accelerate your design effort.

• Configurable—Select the pre-built functions you need with full C language, library, and verification support.
• Extensible—Add custom instructions using our Verilog-like TIE language. The results are automatically integrated into the programming tools with full verification support. Custom ports allow your hardware accelerators to be directly integrated into the core, appearing to the programmer as a standard instruction.
• Scalable—Configurable I/O ports and memory allow you to easily scale your performance from a simple single-core design to a sophisticated direct ported multi-core solution.

Experts views

Gereon Meyer, VDI/VDE Innovation and Technik GmbH

The combination of connectivity and automation with electrification of vehicles provides a multitude of synergies in both performance of the technical system and added value for users and businesses. These synergies become manifest in e.g. higher energy efficiency and more convenient operation. Furthermore they define the role of potential substituent in the automotive value chain. Therefore, they constitute an interesting subject of innovation analysis.

Connected and automated vehicles are able to choose routes and driving styles that minimize the energy consumption and ensure the best usage of the battery capacity in a hybrid or purely electric power train for a given road profile. Hence an increased and predictable range of the electrified vehicle results. At the system level, automation in combination with cooperative driving ensures that traffic flows are optimized both in the city, the primary area of electric vehicle usage, and on the highway where it may greatly increase the usefulness of electric vehicles for longer distances. Synergies can also be found in slow traffic: highly automated electric vehicles in combination with inductive charging can simultaneously find a spot with a charging-coil and charge automatically. Furthermore, electrified and automated vehicles are faced with comparable requirements for fail-operational design of the electric and electronic architecture – a great opportunity for engineers designing the automobile of the future.

In view of these developments, the Implementing Agreement Hybrid and Electric Vehicles of the International Energy Agency recently established a new working group, Task 29 “Connected and Automated Electrified Vehicles”. It shall analyze the potential synergies in road vehicles, share information about relevant research and development activities, and exchange ideas on future trends in innovation, business development and deployment.

Claire E. Silverstein and Samer H. Hamdar, the George Washington University

With billions of vehicle miles traveled resulting in tens of thousands of fatal collisions annually in the U.S alone, significant improvements to traffic safety are needed. Moreover, the still increasing fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled is an indicator of the need to improve traffic stability by reducing congestion. Interactions between individual drivers and error in the decision making process have been previously identified as major contributors to unsafe and unstable traffic conditions. Two main avenues that reduce/remove human error from the driving experience are being pursued. Autonomous vehicles use sensing technology to take on the burden of driving, while connected vehicles incorporate vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to infrastructure communication to obtain and share information that can allow the driver/vehicle to make better driving decisions. Due to the anticipated prevalence of connected and autonomous vehicles and the need to be able to accurately account for all types of driving behavior, this research tests the traffic stability of different market penetration rates (MPRs) of connected and autonomous vehicles that exhibit both car-following and lane-changing maneuvers. Additionally, the inclusion of lateral trajectory during the lane-changing process allows for higher fidelity when analyzing vehicular movements. Four types of vehicles are implemented in the simulations: autonomous use the microscopic Intelligent Driver Model (IDM) and LIDAR sensors; automated use IDM and digital short range communications (DSRC); connected use the microscopic Prospect Theory (PT) – based model and DSRC; and non-equipped, use the PT based model and no sensor/ communication information. By looking at how these various types of vehicles interact on the roadway, practitioners can observe the effectiveness of different MPRs in reducing travel time as well as increasing stability and safety. Future research using this platform can look at the responsiveness of the most at-risk driving populations (elderly and teenage drivers) in simulations and instrumented vehicles.

Conclusion

There are many design tools available for designing v2v interface set-ups. These nets will help transforming the traffic management in Intelligent Traffic Systems.