Robustness investigation of the FlexRay system

FlexRay, as a communication protocol for automotive control systems, is developed to fulfill the increasing demand on the electronic control units for implementing systems with higher safety and more comfort. Fault-tolerant feature is especially highlighted in the FlexRay protocol such that it can be robust enough to apply for the safety-critical automotive applications. In this work-in-progress report, a verification strategy of the fault-tolerant mechanisms (FTMs) adopted in the FlexRay protocol is introduced. Our goal is to assess the effectiveness of FTMs to common interferences including EMI, SEU and crosstalk. We will also build up a simplified steer-by-wire system for observing its abnormal behaviors when the FTMs cannot overcome the interferences. All the investigations provide a transparent figure to the robustness of the FlexRay systems.