RFAutomotive Ethernet Frame Analysis & Data Logger Tool
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Introduction : Automotive Ethernet brings standard Ethernet frame structure into the vehicle domain. It offers high bandwidth and IP based communication across domains in modern vehicles.
Automotive Ethernet Frame Structure
It uses frame structure similar to traditional ethernet as per IEEE 802.3 standard. As show in the figure, it consists of preamble, start frame delimiter, destination MAC address, source MAC address, Type field, variable length data payload, and frame check sequence (FCS).
| Field | Size | Purpose/ Description |
|---|---|---|
| Preamble | 7 bytes | Used for clock synchronization between sender and receiver |
| Start Frame Delimiter | 1 byte | Used to indicate end of the preamble and start of the actual frame. |
| Destination MAC address | 6 bytes | Indicates the target node (unicast), group (multicast), or all nodes (broadcast). |
| Source MAC address | 6 bytes | Identifies the sending node. |
| EtherType/Length | 2 bytes | Check Note-1 |
| Payload | 46-1500 bytes | Carries upper-layer data (IP, diagnostics, control messages, TSN frames). |
| Frame Check Sequence (FCS) | 4 bytes | CRC32 checksum for error detection. |
| VLAN Tag (Optional) | 4 bytes | Used for priority/QoS, Essential for TSN traffic classes |
Note-1 (EtherType/Length Field):
- This field of IEEE 802.3 can be used either as length field or Type field.
- Length Field (<=1500 ) - Classic 802.3 : Indicates size of payload
- EtherType Field (>=1536) - Ethernet II : Indicates protocol type as per table below.
| Value in Type field | Protocol |
|---|---|
| 0x0800 | IPv4 |
| 0x86DD | IPv6 |
| 0x8100 | VLAN (802.1Q) |
| 0x88F7 | Precision Time Protocol (IEEE 1588/gPTP) |
| 0x22F0 | TSN Frame Types |
Automotive Ethernet Data logger tool
| Manufacturers | Product with features |
|---|---|
| TTTech Auto | PM-350 data logger : supports high-speed automotive Ethernet (up to 10 GBase-T), along with CAN FD, LIN, FlexRay. |
| IPETRONIK | ETHOS 2 logger : Specifically designed for automotive ethernet, it supports 8× 1 Gb Ethernet interfaces + SFP+, plus many CAN FD, LIN, FlexRay channels. |
| GiN GmbH | GL5450 data logger : up to 20 x 100BASE-T1 and 6 x 1000BASE-T1 interfaces |
| Aukua Systems | provide 3-in-1 Automotive Ethernet test solution |
| Rohde & Schwarz | Provides automotive Ethernet test solutions, including for 100BASE-T1 and 1000BASE-T1 |
| Spirent Communications | Provides automotive Ethernet performance and conformance test tools, especially for TSN / in-vehicle networks, also works in collaboration with R&S for full stack automotive Ethernet test solutions |
Summary:
An automotive Ethernet frame analysis and logger tool is essential for capturing and dissecting Ethernet traffic in vehicles. It aids in development of connected and high data rate systems including diagnostics, infotainment and autonomous functions.
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