In-Vehicle Network

Ethernet · CAN FD · LIN · TSN

A modern EV runs links that differ in speed by a factor of half a million. Zonal designs put Ethernet in the middle and push CAN and LIN to the edges.

Log-scale bar chart of link speeds by in-vehicle network type. Control buses: LIN 20 kbit/s, classic CAN 1 Mbit/s, CAN FD up to 8 Mbit/s, FlexRay 10 Mbit/s, CAN XL up to 20 Mbit/s. Automotive Ethernet: 10BASE-T1S 10 Mbit/s multidrop, 100BASE-T1 100 Mbit/s, 1000BASE-T1 1 Gbit/s, MultiGig T1 at 2.5 to 10 Gbit/s. Camera SerDes links such as GMSL and FPD-Link carry about 12 Gbit/s one way. LINK SPEED BY IN-VEHICLE NETWORK TYPE (LOG SCALE) LIN20 kbit/s CAN1 Mbit/s CAN FDup to 8 Mbit/s FlexRay10 Mbit/s CAN XLup to 20 Mbit/s 10BASE-T1S10 Mbit/s multidrop 100BASE-T1100 Mbit/s 1000BASE-T11 Gbit/s MultiGig T12.5-10 Gbit/s Camera SerDes~12 Gbit/s 10 kbit/s 1 Mbit/s 100 Mbit/s 10 Gbit/s Control buses Automotive Ethernet Camera links (GMSL, FPD-Link)
Speed range
20 kbit/s to ~12 Gbit/s
Ethernet standards
IEEE 802.3bw, bp, ch, cg
Rivian Gen 2 ECUs
17 to 7
Deterministic Ethernet
TSN (IEEE 802.1)
Hub
Supply Chain

Finding

The in-vehicle network is converging on a switched Ethernet backbone with time-sensitive networking, while CAN FD and LIN survive as cheap local links under zonal controllers

Cameras drive the bandwidth: an eight-camera driver-assistance suite at several megapixels needs multi-gigabit links to central compute, while a window motor needs a few kilobits. IEEE has standardized the automotive Ethernet family - 100BASE-T1 (802.3bw), 1000BASE-T1 (802.3bp), 2.5 to 10GBASE-T1 (802.3ch) and the 10BASE-T1S multidrop bus (802.3cg) - and Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN, IEEE 802.1) adds the scheduled, bounded-latency traffic that once required CAN or FlexRay.

In a zonal layout, three or four zonal controllers each collect the sensors and actuators in one corner of the vehicle over short CAN FD, LIN or 10BASE-T1S links and send the data over an Ethernet ring or star to central compute. Tesla has used body controllers per zone since the Model 3; the Cybertruck added a 48-volt bus and its Etherloop ring; Rivian's Gen 2 R1 cut its controllers from 17 to seven. Cameras still mostly use point-to-point SerDes links - ADI's GMSL and TI's FPD-Link - because raw video at multi-gigabit rates is cheaper to serialize than to packetize. TI builds analog and interface parts, including CAN transceivers, at its Sherman, Texas fabs.

The silicon base is small: NXP, Broadcom, Infineon (with Marvell's former automotive Ethernet line), Microchip, TI and Realtek for Ethernet; NXP, Infineon, TI, onsemi and Microchip for CAN and LIN. Chinese suppliers - Motorcomm and JLSemi for Ethernet PHYs, Novosense and Chipanalog for CAN transceivers - are winning sockets in Chinese EVs.

Technologies

Network technologies

Most vehicles run all of these at once; each has a clear job.

In-vehicle network technologies
NetworkRoleWhere it is usedStandardNotes
Automotive EthernetHigh-bandwidth data plane and backboneZonal backbone, ADAS compute, cockpit, gatewaysIEEE 802.3bw, bp, ch; TSN100BASE-T1 and 1000BASE-T1 common; MultiGig for central compute
10BASE-T1SLow-cost multidrop EthernetZone edge nodes, lighting, sensorsIEEE 802.3cgLets Ethernet reach the edge and replace some CAN
CANDeterministic control and diagnosticsPowertrain, chassis, safety signalsISO 11898Robust, cheap, ubiquitous
CAN FDHigher-payload CANDomains needing more data than classic CANISO 11898-1:2015Up to 64-byte frames; bridge while Ethernet spreads
CAN XLCAN with Ethernet-sized framesZone-to-zone control linksCiA 610Early adoption
LINLow-cost single-wire busBody electronics, switches, simple actuatorsISO 17987Not for sensor streaming
FlexRayTime-triggered deterministic busLegacy chassis and active suspensionISO 17458Being replaced by TSN Ethernet
Camera SerDesPoint-to-point video linksCameras and displaysGMSL, FPD-Link, MIPI A-PHY, ASAProprietary links limit second-sourcing

Topology

From ECU sprawl to zonal backbones

Each step removes controllers and harness length and moves logic toward central compute.

In-vehicle network topologies
TopologyStructureExamples
DistributedDozens of single-function ECUs on several CAN segments; heavy harnessMost pre-2020 combustion-era platforms
DomainDomain controllers for powertrain, body, chassis, cockpit, ADAS; Ethernet appears between domainsVW MEB (ICAS controllers), many current Japanese and Korean EVs
ZonalZonal controllers per corner; Ethernet backbone; gateways bridge to CAN and LINTesla Model 3, Y and Cybertruck; Rivian Gen 2; XPeng, Li Auto, NIO, Xiaomi
Central computeOne or two central computers on an Ethernet switch fabric with zonal I/OTesla, XPeng, Li Auto; VW-Rivian joint venture architecture

Hardware

Key hardware and suppliers

IVN cost and performance are set by a handful of physical parts.

In-vehicle network hardware
Building blockWhat it doesSuppliersProcurement notes
Ethernet switchesRoute traffic between zones, sensors and computeNXP, Broadcom, Infineon, Microchip, Realtek, MotorcommPort count, TSN support and thermal design scale with camera count
Ethernet PHYsPhysical layer for T1 linksNXP, Broadcom, Infineon, TI, Microchip, Realtek, Motorcomm, JLSemiSignal integrity over unshielded single pair
CAN and LIN transceiversElectrical interface to the busNXP, Infineon, TI, onsemi, Microchip, Novosense, ChipanalogHigh volume, many second sources
Camera SerDesSerialize video from cameras to computeADI (GMSL), TI (FPD-Link), Valens (A-PHY)Lock-in through proprietary protocols
Gateway processorsBridge Ethernet and CAN or LIN; firewallNXP S32G, Renesas R-Car S4, Infineon AURIX, SemiDrive G9Moving into zonal controllers and central compute
Connectors and cablingPhysical interconnect for data and powerTE, Rosenberger, Amphenol, Yazaki, Aptiv, LuxshareShielding, impedance control and weight drive design
Timing hardwareClocks and time-stamping for sensor fusionBuilt into switches and SoCs (IEEE 802.1AS gPTP)Matters more as sensor fusion scales

Sources

Sources and scope

Scope
In-Vehicle Networks
Sources
IEEE 802.3 and 802.1 TSN; ISO 11898; CiA; Rivian (Gen 2, 2024); company disclosures
Updated
October 2026