Modern road vehicles rely on an increasingly sophisticated array of electronic circuits and miniature, specialized computers. If a vehicle is equipped with a modern infotainment system, special cameras, and all of the special sensors that an engine management computer relies on, then it becomes increasingly important that all of these components are able to talk to one another in a way that’s fast and reliable.
In the case of autonomous vehicles, this becomes even more important. If a threat is detected on the road ahead, then a signal needs to be sent immediately to the brakes – possible via a series of intermediaries.
This means, among other things, that the cables and connectors used will need to be of a high standard.
Enabling High-Speed Data Transmission for Autonomous Systems
A number of specialized connectors offer the kind of throughput and resilience that these applications call for. For traditional in-vehicle networks, like an electronic dashboard, just a thousand or so megabytes need to be sent per second. To get full-HD video playing in the rear of the vehicle, via an infotainment system, then this speed might be tripled.
For the uncompressed video and sensor data needed for ‘level 4’ autonomous vehicles, performance needs to go all the way up to 24Gbps. This might mean coaxial connectors and optical transmission. Getting this figure even higher might require even more sophisticated (and as-yet-undeveloped) kinds of transmission technology.
Power Distribution and Management in Electric Autonomous Vehicles
Of course, as well as sending data from one component to the next, autonomous vehicles will also need to be able to power these vehicles. This means threading power cables up from the battery at the base of the vehicle.
Connectors used here must be able to deal with the wattage passing through, which, in the case of high-performance vehicles, might be considerable. Connectors should be able to carry high voltages without overheating.
We should note that the sensor technology of the future may be more power-efficient than that of today. However, the power going to the wheels will place vastly more strain on the battery, and the cables that carry electricity to them.
Ensuring Safety and Durability in Harsh Environments
It’s worth bearing in mind that automated vehicles might be exposed to bumps and juddering, as a result of the road surface. Connectors might therefore need to be secure and difficult to dislodge.
Also, different vehicles might be expected to cope with different kinds of environments and temperatures. Connectors should be able to cope with dust and moisture, as well as freezing conditions.
Since the automotive industry is so large, it’s likely that any new cabling advances will proliferate quickly, and result in the development of new and more specialized standards for connectors within the vehicle.
