Vehicle Network Bridge for Low-Latency Audio Over Ethernet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle communication architectures face inefficiencies and high costs due to the need for additional cabling to support low-latency audio connectivity between edge nodes and central high-performance compute ECUs, particularly for applications like Road Noise Cancellation, which are not adequately addressed by Ethernet networks.
Innovation Solution
A network bridge is introduced to integrate a Time Domain Multiplexing (TDM) bus with an Ethernet network, enabling low-latency connectivity by bridging transducer data from the TDM bus to the Ethernet backbone network, utilizing interface, clock recovery, and acoustic data receiver/transmitter circuitry to synchronize and transmit data efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If additional cabling is installed to support low-latency audio connectivity between edge nodes and central high-performance compute ECUs, then audio latency performance is improved, but system cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The Ethernet network is made multi-functional by enabling it to carry both general data traffic and low-latency audio data through the network bridge. The network bridge allows the same Ethernet cabling to serve dual purposes: standard Ethernet communication and synchronized audio transmission over TDM, eliminating the need for separate dedicated audio cabling while maintaining low-latency performance
Solution Approach 2:
The network bridge acts as an intermediary device between the TDM audio bus and the Ethernet network. It receives audio data from the TDM bus, synchronizes it using clock recovery circuitry, and transmits it over the Ethernet network with minimal latency. This intermediary enables audio data to traverse the Ethernet infrastructure without requiring dedicated audio cabling throughout the vehicle
2Loss of time
If additional cabling is installed to support low-latency audio connectivity, then audio latency performance is improved, but installation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The Ethernet network infrastructure is made multi-functional to handle both standard data communication and low-latency audio transmission. By implementing the network bridge, the same Ethernet cabling and switches are used for both purposes, eliminating the need for separate dedicated audio cabling installation and reducing overall system cost
Solution Approach 2:
The network bridge handles the complex tasks of clock recovery, data synchronization, and protocol conversion automatically without requiring manual configuration or additional infrastructure. The system self-manages the integration between TDM and Ethernet domains, simplifying installation and reducing labor costs
3Manufacturing precision
If TDM bus is synchronized to recovered clock signal from Ethernet frames, then data transmission accuracy is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network bridge serves as an intermediary that handles the complex clock recovery and synchronization processes. It extracts the clock signal from incoming Ethernet frames and uses it to synchronize the TDM bus, thereby achieving precise data timing without requiring complex synchronization mechanisms at the edge devices or central processor
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex hardware-based synchronization mechanisms with software-based clock recovery and synchronization algorithms implemented in the network bridge. This substitution reduces the need for additional hardware components and simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining synchronization accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
A communications network for a vehicle comprising: a central processing node; a zonal node; an Ethernet network coupling the central processing node to the zonal node; and an edge network coupled to the zonal node, the edge network comprising a time domain multiplexing (TDM) bus and a plurality of edge transducers coupled to the TDM bus, wherein the zonal node comprises a network bridge for bridging transducer data received from the TDM bus to the Ethernet backbone network, wherein the network bridge comprises: interface circuitry for interfacing the network bridge with the TDM bus; clock recovery circuitry for recovering a clock signal for use by the edge network from an Ethernet frame received from the Ethernet network, wherein a TDM cycle of the TDM bus is synchronised to the recovered clock signal; acoustic data receiver circuitry coupled to the interface circuitry by a first low-latency data path, wherein the acoustic data receiver circuitry is configured to transmit acoustic data contained in Ethernet frames received at the network bridge from the Ethernet network to the interface circuitry; and acoustic data transmitter circuitry coupled to the interface circuitry by a second low-latency data path, wherein the acoustic data transmitter circuitry is configured to transmit Ethernet frames containing acoustic data received at the interface circuitry from the edge network to the Ethernet network.