Autotalks Adopts a Dual Support Approach for V2X, But the Industry Needs Simultaneous Operation

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By James Hodgson | 4Q 2018 | IN-5278

In September 2018, Autotalks, a long-time leader in the Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC)/802.11p space, announced that their second-generation Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) chipset will support PC5 Cellular V2X (C-V2X). The CRATON2 and PLUTON2, through a firmware update, will now support both of the V2X technologies battling for supremacy in the automotive market. The new firmware will not permit both protocols to be enabled simultaneously; rather, it will allow Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to opt either for 802.11p or for PC5 functionality via a software-defined toggle. This will allow OEMs to manufacture and certify a single V2X platform, which they can then deploy globally.

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Autotalks Adopts a Dual Support Approach

NEWS


In September 2018, Autotalks, a long-time leader in the Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC)/802.11p space, announced that their second-generation Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) chipset will support PC5 Cellular V2X (C-V2X). The CRATON2 and PLUTON2, through a firmware update, will now support both of the V2X technologies battling for supremacy in the automotive market. The new firmware will not permit both protocols to be enabled simultaneously; rather, it will allow Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to opt either for 802.11p or for PC5 functionality via a software-defined toggle. This will allow OEMs to manufacture and certify a single V2X platform, which they can then deploy globally.

Having been a long-time proponent of 802.11p over C-V2X, the fact that Autotalks, a dedicated V2X company, felt that the need to expand beyond 802.11p signals the increasing maturity of C-V2X technologies, due in part to the favorable regulatory environment in China. However, Autotalks will enter the C-V2X market as a very different player to the current market incumbents. 

Resource Reuse versus Isolation

IMPACT


The guiding philosophy behind the adoption of C-V2X has been the reuse of cellular baseband technologies and resources in the vehicle to enable new functionality—that is, Device-to-Device (D2D) communication among cellular-connected vehicles to improve obstacle detection and safety. Therefore, C-V2X has been the perfect route for semiconductor players that have a background in the consumer space to expand their automotive role and competence. To date, cellular communication has largely been confined to the Telematics Control Unit (TCU) to enable connected infotainment functions, but C-V2X will see cellular communication enabling safety-relevant and mission-critical functions. C-V2X leaders therefore, envision the TCU developing into a safety-relevant system or forming part of a safety-relevant V2X domain.

Autotalks has had a very different background. As a dedicated automotive player, Autotalks’ interest in the industry begins and ends with V2X communication. Autotalks has been a longtime proponent of 802.11p and has lauded its ability to enable reliable and safety-critical V2X applications before the launch of the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) and 3GPP Release 14. Although Autotalks is now expanding into the C-V2X space, the core philosophy of targeting safety use cases clearly remains.

As such, Autotalks is bringing a new specialized isolated approach to C-V2X. Rather than enabling OEMs to reuse cellular baseband resources from the TCU, Autotalks will enable C-V2X on a dedicated chipset. Many of the cybersecurity and functional safety requirements connected with mission critical use cases will be satisfied by the CRATON2 chipset’s isolation from any of the TCU’s consumer-grade functions.

Simultaneous Support Is Needed

RECOMMENDATIONS


Autotalks’ dedicated chipset approach will likely find strong interest from mass market and cost-sensitive brands looking to satisfy V2X mandates in multiple geographies on global vehicle platforms. It will also make it easier to enable V2X functionality on vehicles that do not have other cellular-connected domains, such as infotainment systems or TCUs. This is particularly relevant to those mobility modes (such as motorbikes) that will benefit from C-V2X applications but that do not typically require a cellular connection for other functions. As Autotalks is essentially looking to enable C-V2X without cellular connectivity, synchronization would need to be achieved solely through Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, unless Autotalks can negotiate an interface with the cellular modem supplier for each vehicle to enable synchronization via the network.

Including the TCU as part of a safety critical domain will require considerable work in cybersecurity and functional safety validation. Therefore the integrated C-V2X approach will prove most popular with OEMs who have dedicated themselves to ubiquitous connectivity across their models, utilizing a common architecture across their model ranges and in different geographies.

C-V2X incumbents will need to avoid the temptation to limit C-V2X functionality only to high-end Long-Term Evolution (LTE) modems in the hopes of driving sales for their core business. Instead, they must continue to see C-V2X as the first step in the expansion of the role that connectivity plays in automotive, with Over-the-Air (OTA) and 5G further establishing embedded connectivity as a “must have” rather than as a “nice to have.”

The ability to certify a stand-alone V2X chipset that can support either 802.11p or C-V2X can help reduce the complexity and cost of deploying V2X globally. However, what the industry really needs at this juncture is simultaneous support for both V2X protocols. While much of the market’s bifurcation can be attributed to different mandates in different regions, there is an observable organic divergence as OEMs increasingly divide themselves into two camps. Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai, and GM vocally support 802.11p, while C-V2X is preferred by Audi, Mercedes, Groupe PSA, and Ford.

However, the inherent nature of V2X applications requires a double coincidence of equipped vehicles; the best way to achieve the critical mass that makes V2X valuable for the consumer is a solution which can support both protocols simultaneously. This will require a concerted effort between industry and regulators, as the small 70 MHz spectrum allocated to V2X would need to be split into two bands. This would make it more difficult for the C-V2X camp to enable their higher bandwidth for PC5 applications, but it is a strategy they should pursue regardless to provide reassurance to those remaining OEMs that are concerned about poor compatibility impacting overall V2X penetration.

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