A TSN-based approach to combine Real-time CAN network with in-vehicle Ethernet

As in-vehicle communication networks evolve to accommodate Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), the limitations of the traditional Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol become apparent. This paper proposes a novel integration approach using Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) to bridge the real-time CAN network with in-vehicle Ethernet, addressing the challenges posed by increased data demands. Our solution leverages a TSN-enabled gateway embedded in the switch to connect CAN and Ethernet, eliminating external hardware conversion seamlessly. By avoiding CAN frame aggregation, we prioritize minimal latency, which is evaluated through real-world experiments with various traffic profiles and TSN configurations. The use of 802.1Qav within the Linux kernel ensures timely and deterministic packet delivery, simplifying the integration process on a shared TSN-enabled hardware platform. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in meeting time-critical communication requirements, preserving CAN network real-time properties.