Overview of time synchronization

Time synchronization in AUTOSAR is a set of components designed to ensure accurate and consistent timekeeping across different ECUs within a vehicle. This is achieved through dedicated time synchronization protocols and mechanisms, providing a common time base for various applications and systems to enable precise coordination and timing-dependent operations. In automotive systems, time-critical applications are often distributed across multiple ECUs connected via different in-vehicle networks such as CAN, Ethernet, and FlexRay, each operating with its own source clock. Synchronizing these ECUs is essential to achieve time-sensitive functionalities. The challenge in a mixed network architecture is synchronizing nodes across different protocols connected via a gateway. AUTOSAR addresses this challenge with the concept of a Time Gateway, which ensures synchronization across diverse networks, enabling seamless time-sensitive operations, and this is where...