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As early as 2013, BMW replaced SerDes with Ethernet to create a 360-degree panoramic view based on Ethernet. However, as camera pixel counts have continued to rise and the prices of SerDes chips have decreased, the cost-effectiveness of Ethernet-based 360-degree panoramic views has gradually declined. Ultimately, around 2020, BMW switched back to using SerDes chips for video transmission. With the rise of the Zonal architecture, the demand for Ethernet to replace SerDes for video transmission has become increasingly strong.
Comparison of Video Transmission Standards
Image Source: Internet
Here, SerDes refers to the Serializer/Deserializer, also known as P2PP (Point to Point Protocol). The most well-known SerDes is ADI’s GMSL, which almost monopolizes the automotive camera field, while another is Texas Instruments’ FPD-Link, primarily used in video and serial applications. Additionally, there is the Clockless Link from Japan’s Rohm, which is used across Huawei’s product line. Among various video transmission standards, only Ethernet supports the Zonal architecture, as the core backbone of the Zonal architecture is Ethernet. Of course, the latest GMSLE standard supports the Zonal architecture, but it is more of a serial-to-Ethernet conversion than a true SerDes. It is well known that Software Defined Vehicles (SDV) or central computing architectures are inseparable from Zonal architecture, which is the trend of the future and is recognized as the next generation of automotive E/E architecture.
In addition to supporting the Zonal architecture, Ethernet also offers advantages such as higher bandwidth. Currently mass-produced SoC chips, such as NVIDIA’s Thor-X, have four 25Gb Ethernet interfaces, and 10Gb automotive Ethernet physical layer chips and Ethernet switches have been in mass production by Broadcom since November 2020. The 50Gb optical Ethernet standard 802.3cz was also completed in March 2023, with corresponding transceiver chips available. Higher bandwidth means higher transmission capacity, higher resolution, more sensors, and lower transmission latency.
Data Source: e-con Systems
The IMX715 used here has 8.29 million effective pixels, but it uses horizontal and vertical two-line binning pixel merging, reducing the resolution to 1920*1080. The Ethernet-based NVIDIA HSB has lower transmission latency.
SerDes has the following disadvantages compared to Ethernet:
① Current mainstream SerDes solutions are based on proprietary protocols from various chip suppliers, such as ADI’s GMSL, which are not compatible with each other; this reduces the flexibility of the supply chain.
② Point-to-point transmission prevents video data from being directly shared between domain controllers;
③ P2PP requires pairs of SerDes chips for transmission, which increases costs;
④ The point-to-point connection cable from the camera to the domain controller is long and costly.
Both 802.3ch and GMSL physical layers use PAM-4 encoding, so even at the maximum data transmission rate, the channel bandwidth (Nyquist frequency) does not exceed 3.5GHz. Compared to both at the same frequency, 802.3ch has a lower insertion loss limit, allowing for the use of thinner, lower-cost cables. Additionally, due to the Ethernet bridging method, the cable length is significantly reduced, resulting in better performance. Furthermore, 802.3ch does not exclude the use of coaxial cables; future Ethernet bridges can also use coaxial cables similar to current P2PP to achieve better cost efficiency.
Broadcom’s All-Ethernet SDV Solution
Image Source: Broadcom
Image Source: Marvell
Integrating SerDes into the Zonal architecture requires adding 1-2 chips and custom Zonal Ethernet switches.
Image Source: Marvell
Automotive Ethernet is very friendly to Zonal support.
802.3ch-Based Automotive Ethernet Camera Connection to ECU
Image Source: BMW
The current 802.3ch standard for automotive Ethernet is already sufficient to replace SerDes technology, but its competitiveness is not very strong, mainly due to the high cost of 10G Ethernet physical layer chips. However, if there is an urgent need for a Zonal all-Ethernet architecture, a slight increase in physical layer costs can be overlooked.
802.3ch Ethernet operates in a full-duplex symmetric transmission mode, and its internal design currently includes echo cancellation and ADC/DAC circuits, which increases costs and slightly raises power consumption. In April 2024, the IEEE ISAAC (Improved Support of Asymmetrical Application for MGbps Ethernet Cameras) task force will establish corresponding standards for this asymmetric transmission method in automotive Ethernet, named IEEE 802.3 dm. Its main protocol content is to provide an optimized electrical physical layer for automotive cameras and other sensors to support the high data rate and low latency requirements of automotive Ethernet. Its cost and power consumption will align with the current GMSL, adopting an asymmetric design. In fact, as early as 2010, the IEEE established the 802.3az standard for energy-efficient sensitive fields, which can be considered a precursor to 802.3dm.
Thanks to the groundwork laid by 802.3az, the progress of the 802.3dm standard is relatively fast. A draft will be available this November, with the complete standard expected to be finalized by next November. By July 2025, Keysight will support 802.3dm protocol testing, and by 2026, the standard will be completed, allowing Marvell (whose automotive Ethernet division was acquired by Infineon) and Broadcom to launch related products.
Introduction to ASA-MLE (where E stands for Ethernet)
Image Source: IEEE
However, IEEE is actually a step behind. As early as 2020, there were ideas for asymmetric Ethernet for video transmission, which is the ASA-ML (Automotive SerDes Alliance). It established a compatible Ethernet 2.0 standard in 2023, with related products expected to be released in February 2024, specifically from AVIVA Link. In December 2024, NXP acquired the company for $242.5 million. ASA-ML was originally intended to break the proprietary protocol blockade of ADI and Texas Instruments, allowing smaller companies to enter the SerDes field. However, in 2022, it recognized the importance of Ethernet compatibility and developed a TDD-based asymmetric Ethernet. The IEEE’s work on 802.3dm is a step behind. However, ASA-ML and MIPI are integrated, meaning that the output end of ASA-ML’s cameras is still MIPI CSI, while IEEE aims to use Ethernet entirely. Considering ASA-ML’s strong capabilities, many companies have already commercialized, forcing IEEE’s 802.3dm to split into two standards: TDD led by ASA-MLE and ACT led by IEEE.
Image Source: Marvell
The ACT camp mainly consists of Infineon, which just acquired Marvell’s automotive Ethernet division, and Broadcom, the dominant player in Ethernet chips, along with ADI and Texas Instruments, which are likely also part of the ACT camp. Essentially, it is a rivalry between two types of duplex communication: FDD versus TDD. Theoretically, TDD is more suitable for asymmetric scenarios, with higher resource utilization, but it increases the complexity of management control, making the system more complex.
Image Source: Marvell
The biggest advantage of the TDD camp is its strong ecosystem and early start. BMW has already confirmed that it will use ASA-MLE in mass production models early next year.
TDD Camp
Image Source: BMW
Among them, Broadcom holds the most weight, but it is betting on both sides. Besides Broadcom, Realtek and Rohm also have significant stakes. However, Realtek has almost no physical layer chips, mainly focusing on Ethernet switches. Excluding car manufacturers, the TDD camp and ACT camp are evenly matched.
Comparison of GMSLE with GMSL3/2
Image Source: ADI
Comparison of Physical Layers on the Camera Side
Image Source: ADI
ADI’s GMSL has not been idle either. In March of this year, ADI launched GMSLE, which is compatible with Ethernet, and in June established OpenGMSL. GMSLE uses technology similar to ACT, both employing FDD. The difference between GMSLE and ACT lies in the modulation technology; GMSLE uses NRZ, while ACT uses PAM4. NRZ (Non-Return-to-Zero) uses two signal levels to represent 1/0 information, transmitting 1 bit per cycle, which is less efficient but has high signal interference tolerance and low cost. PAM4 (Pulse Amplitude Modulation with four levels) uses four signal levels to transmit, sending 2 bits per cycle, doubling the data rate of NRZ, improving transmission efficiency, and reducing baud rate and channel loss. However, the system requires more complex digital signal processing (DSP) technology and forward error correction (FEC) to compensate for signal integrity issues, leading to relatively higher power consumption and increased costs.
GMSLE supports up to 10Gb Ethernet, while ACT should reach 25Gb. In the future, with many players in the mix, it is difficult to predict who will emerge victorious. In China, apart from Huawei using Rohm’s Clockless, the rest are dominated by GMSL.
Disclaimer: The views and data in this article are for reference only and may differ from actual situations. This article does not constitute investment advice, and all views and data represent the author’s position, without any guidance, investment, or decision-making opinions.
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