Lessons from a Minimal Middleware for IP-Based In-Car Communication

Introducing the Internet Protocol to the in-car network, we need communication software for fast and robust development of future networked applications. The heterogeneity within the communication network concerning the differences in device capability and application requirements can be targeted by establishing a middleware consisting of several specifications. In this paper, we give evidence that a minimal middleware specification can be feasible even for smallest embedded Electronic Control Units but still largely interoperable with the more complex communication demands of powerful infotainment and driver assistance ones. We therefore present a prototype implementation, which is evaluated towards interoperability, resource consumption, and execution performance.