TSN Systems Overview

In the automotive field, in recent years, there has been a demand for a change in the network communication method in the vehicle. It is expected to have higher bandwidth and better real-time characteristics. The traditional CAN bus no longer meets communication requirements of new case, just like ADAS, and the TSN network based on ethernet is a better solution.

TSN Systems was founded in 2016 and is a group of experts for time-sensitive networks and specialists from E/E automotive development of UMAN. Corporation’s passion is Time Sensitive Networking, goal is to help the automotive industry by providing the measuring and analytics tools to keep the technological changes controllable. Polelink Information Technology Co., Ltd., as the exclusive China partner of TSN Systems, will provide customers with comprehensive and efficient TSN solutions.

TSN Tools and TSN Box, which come from TSN systems, are the tools we use to help you master the complexity of time-sensitive Automotive Ethernet. TSN Box is the hardware interface to the network and can be configured as a TAP, Talker / Listener. The platform-independent TSN Tools software offers high-level analysis and visualization to keep track at all times. Hardware and software are scalable and usable in many scenarios. The system supports all major use cases along the automotive development cycle. From simulation, software ECU development via HiL-based tests to vehicle protection.

TSN Systems’Advantages

• PTP Analysis

• Rest Net Simulation

• A/V and CAN Content Analysis

• BroadR-Reach 100/1000 Base T1

TSN Tools

TSN Tools, a completely redesigned, platform-independent software environment, is specifically designed to make future complex measurement and analysis tasks manageable and to bring you quickly into a productive mode.

The basic features of the TSN tools are:

• Stream detection: Logical recognition of related packages and their visualization

• PTP Analysis : in-depth analysis of PTP status per link and network wide

• Multimodal payload analysis:

-Audio / Video Content (AVB)

-TSN Content (CAN tunnel, general control signals, IEEE1722a etc.)

-SomeIP, DoIP

-Correlation between Ethernet and CAN bus

• Rest Net Simulation (AVB / TSN Talker / Listener)

The basic goals of the TSN tools are:

• Help to master the complexity of time-sensitive Automotive Ethernet.

The TSN Tools software provides a high level network analysis and visualization approach to keep track at any time.

• Platform independent

TSN Tools is available for Windows 7/10 and Linux platforms and tailored to fit into existing and new workflows of future automotive development. Embedded software specialists do not need to leave their well-known Linux development environment.

• Easy to use

Debugging Automotive Ethernet can be complex. TSN Tools provides a Test & Measurement solution on expert technical level with a highly intuitive user interface. This eases the learning curve when starting ECU development within Automotive Ethernet.

• Audio & ADAS Testing

Testing and analysis is a diverse and daunting challenge with future automotive architectures, ADAS and autonomous driving. TSN Tools supports a wide variety of use cases including payload analysis, deep trigger analysis, multi-signal time lines and much more.

TSN Box

The basic features of the TSN Box are:

• The Network Interface and Gateway

The TSN Box functions as a network interface / gateway and media converter for time sensitive automotive Ethernet networks and CAN/CAN FD. The TSN Box prepares the data and communicates with TSN Tools. The FPGA-based hardware supports various modes as TAP, data logger and AVB Talker/Listener.

• Nanosecond precise time stamps

The TSN Box provides a FPGA timestamp engine with 8 ns precision, covering multiple clock domains. The timestamp engine can be driven by the DUT clock (car PTP), the local clock or an external PTP grandmaster. In this mode multiple TSN Boxes can be synchronized.

• Traffic Generator AVB/TSN Talker

The system provides a flexible signal generation unit that allows rest-net simulations of all relevant signal types in the TSN world. Signal generation and rest bus simulation can be done as audio/video talkers, sensor data generation/playback or general command and control data. The flexible yet precise AVB and TSN Talker within the TSN Box can handle the biggest challenges.

• Supports natively future TSN protocols

The TSN Box provides right away a feature rich set of support for the AVB and TSN protocols typically used in Automotive Ethernet architectures of 2021 and beyond. The solution is the ideal partner to explore PTPv2, 802.1ASrev and different shaping options within TSN such as credit based, time aware or asynchronous shapers.

Technical Data of the TSN Box are:

Use Case

• PTP start up testing

PTP timing is essential for any time sensitive network. PTP start-up and stability can be tested under many circumstances to ensure proper behaviour. TSN Tools and TSN Box support various PTPv2 testing scenarios (IEEE802.1AS and IEEE802.1AS-Rev).

• Multi-link TSN Tap

Since Ethernet is not a bus, looking into an automotive Ethernet link is not easy especially when PTP and AVB/TSN are involved. TSN Box provides a total of eight Ethernet ports serving as fully transparent 100/1000 BASE-T/T1 TAP with nanosecond precision timestamps.

• Sensor Data Simulation

Setting up a REST-Net simulation, signal generation and sensor data simulation/playback are challenging tasks during development and testing of ADAS and autonomous functions. TSN Box supports the engineer in this setup phase.

• Audio & ADAS Testing

TSN Tools supports a wide variety of use cases, including payload analysis, deep trigger analysis, multi-signal timeline and much more to address future generations of automotive network architectures.