Next-Generation Automotive E/E Architectures: Unifying Zonal Computing, Deterministic Ethernet-TSN, Secure CAN Protocols, and Fault-Tolerant Lockstep Mechanisms
Keywords:
Zonal E/E architectures, fault-tolerant lockstep, in-vehicle network security, CAN/TSN coexistenceAbstract
This article presents a comprehensive, original synthesis of current knowledge and forward-looking propositions for resilient, secure, and economically optimized electrical/electronic (E/E) architectures in modern vehicles. It integrates evidence and theoretical positions from research on zonal architectures, fault-tolerant lockstep processors, in-vehicle networking (CAN, CAN-FD, and TSN over Ethernet), scheduling and update strategies, and security vulnerabilities that threaten vehicle safety and availability. The structured abstract outlines objectives, methodological framing, key findings, and implications. The main contribution is a unified conceptual framework that reconciles reliability-by-design (hardware lockstep and heterogeneous redundancy), secure communications (CAN hardening and secure firmware-over-the-air), and pragmatic system-level optimization (cost, scheduling, and power supply considerations). The framework is supported by detailed discussion of mechanisms—dual-core lockstep, share-driven scheduling, selective denial-of-service attacks and defenses, and OTA update parallelization—and by a critical appraisal of trade-offs between cost savings and safety requirements. The article concludes with prioritized research directions and engineering recommendations for industry and academia aimed at achieving scalable, secure, and verifiable zonal E/E systems.
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