Network Topologies for Zonal Architecture: Comparative Analysis and Design Considerations

Advances in vehicle technology are adding a variety of features for drivers, including advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and infotainment systems. Increased network requirements are pushing the limits of traditional E/E architectures and in-vehicle networks (IVNs). In addition, as vehicle functions become softwareized, there is a growing need for a high-performance vehicle computer (HPC) that can manage and update these functions within the vehicle. To solve this problem, a new architecture has emerged called Zonal Architecture. In this architecture, Ethernet was introduced to satisfy the high bandwidth requirements, but to overcome the drawback of not being able to guarantee real-time, Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) was introduced. This paper presents a comparative analysis and design proposal for efficient network topology construction in Zonal Architecture. The experiments are conducted by measuring and analyzing wire length, time synchronization performance, control message transmission delay, performance under traffic load, and redundancy performance in each topology. This paper enables automotive companies to compare the advantages and disadvantages of each network topology configuration, and discusses the selection of an efficient network topology, and allows for structural design considerations.