NETBridge™ Automotive Ethernet Connector System

Automotive Ethernet

Automation and connectivity are some key factors that drive the automotive industry forward these days. Advanced Electronics Systems is creating a rapid revolution in the automotive industry. Not only luxury vehicles but most modern cars are also enriched with Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS), offering a comfortable and safer ride.

Smartphone connectivity, high-powered infotainment systems, navigation, interactive feedback assistance, and driver responsive performance are some of the popular features of smart vehicles.

With these growing automotive applications and features, the bandwidth requirements are also driving up. Efficacy of these systems can only be maintained by adding more and more computer-based systems, applications that can establish in-car networking.

However, creating automotive networks with wiring harnesses and cable networking interfaces will add to the cost and difficulty in maintenance. There are multiple proprietary standards and automotive communication protocols including analog signals on wires, CAN, FlexRay, MOST, and LVDS. Every component within the vehicle has dedicated wiring and communication requirements. This is where Ethernet comes into play.

Ethernet is already a popular term within the data and communication industry, when enhanced bandwidth, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness are considered. It is now evolving as the base of in-vehicle connectivity and is aptly titled Automotive Ethernet.

Ethernet should be familiar to any common man while connecting a personal computer to the modem or using any WiFi equipment. Automotive Ethernet is similar but slightly different from the regular Ethernet system.

Automotive Ethernet is a physical network to connect applications, devices, or other components within a vehicle using a wired network. With every new car released in the market, the automotive communication system is getting more complicated with more sensors, controls, and interfaces with higher bandwidth requirements. When standard wire harness adds to cost and weight, Automotive Ethernet systems, will help in establishing efficient communication between different computers and domains in the car.

Today automotive Ethernet protocols are designed to meet electrical requirements like EMI/RFI emissions, bandwidth, latency, synchronization, and network management within the car.

Multiple automotive proprietary standards are to be used for creating a network communication with each component using a dedicated wire/cable. With Automotive Ethernet systems, we can move to a single standard for all communications. These components or domains can coexist on the same network, with a single pair going to multiple locations in the car from a central Ethernet switch.

From infotainment to ADAS and smart lighting, Amphenol has a handful of solutions that support the modern automotive industries adhering to USCAR-2 specifications and meeting LV214 severity levels.

Enabling a revolution in autonomous driving, NETBridge™ is a key offering from Amphenol, focusing on the possibilities of Automotive Ethernet connectivity.

Capable of transmitting up to 100Mb/s and 1Gb/s, NETBridge™ Automotive Ethernet Connector System is designed for the automotive environment according to IEEE 100BASE-T1 and 1000BASE-T1 standards and offers higher data transmission rates.

Developed in accordance with VDAAK LV214 and ISO 8092-2, this automotive-grade Ethernet connection system uses twisted-pair cables to transmit data and comes with a 0.50mm x 0.40mm tab terminal system. These USCAR-2 connectors offer design flexibility with scalable port options with 1x1 to 1x7 ports for the right angle and vertical automotive connectors and 1x1, 1x5 for inline adaptors making them a suitable choice for a wide variety of automotive designs and applications. NETBridge™ connectors come with a temperature range of -40°C to +100°C in both sealed and unsealed configurations.

The touch-proof design of these IEEE 100BASE-T1 connectors helps in protecting the contact pins and the mechanically robust design helps in easy installation. These connectors also come with a clear color coding, which helps to avoid mismating. A small loose contact or improper connection of an automotive Ethernet connector can sometimes entirely affect the functioning of the vehicle especially when it comes to autonomous cars.

As NETBridge™ comes with CCPA for a secondary lock of contact carrier, thus ensures proper connector assembly. In addition, these connectors also feature optional CPA (Connectors Position Assurance) for secondary lock in mated condition. Apart from this the 10G+ and waterproof versions of the connector are in development and are soon to hit the markets.

NETBridge™ Automotive Ethernet Connectors make an ideal choice for various applications within modern vehicles like Body Control, Safety, Security, and Comfort, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), Telematics, Multimedia, Infotainment, GPS, Navigation, and Camera.