Module Integration

Project Alloyed, although a feasibility study, committed to develop a number of components that would be demonstrated as prototypes and enhanced further to be taken to market.

The primary area of focus has been to deliver the systems required to deliver the work package 7 demonstrator system, however compelling development opportunities have led the team to deliver additional hardware and software to maximise exploitation opportunities at the end of the project.

This work package implements prototypes and market ready components of hardware, software and systems identified in work packages 2 through 5. In addition, the work package delivers key software and hardware components for the primary work package 7 demonstrator.

The main objectives of the work package are to deliver -

• Review of specification and guidelines to integrate work packages 2 through 5
• Low level design documents for use cases
• On-board Unit (OBU) development
• Roadside Unit (RSU) development
• Communications Module(s)
• CAN Module Integration
• V2X Software Protocol Stack
• Data Broker System Design & Implementation

Activities on work packages 6 were initiated early on in the project due to foreseen risks around hardware component dependencies as well as time required for software testing. This becomes especially apparent when considering the level of detail and work required for the development software modules. Software development work is based on a design brief prepared by the technical teams. These briefs were prepared for the WP7 demonstrator deliverables as well as for each of the use cases and the consolidated system technology architecture.

For the OBU development a number of available development platforms were studied and an automotive grade system is selected as the one of choice by the technical teams. It is worth noting that the system selected for the OBU is different from the one selected for the RSU. This is intentional and was selected to demonstrate portability of the software systems in the sense that hardware agnostic software be developed from day one. The system is based on an ARM-Cortex core with the Android OS for flexibility in application development for third parties.

One of multiple platforms used to demonstrate software portability

The RSU is based on an existing market leading system from Vivacity Labs based on a Nvidia platform running a Linux operating environment. The project has adopted the platform as the RSU of choice due to the platform's readiness and available compute power required for local processing of sensor data.

The team has developed software for both OBU and RSU environments integrating drivers and writing a near complete version of the V2X protocol software stack for both systems.

The software development effort involved the further creation of API specifications and coding of generic platform independent messaging libraries using C and Java. A Local Dynamic Map (LDM) java application is also specified and developed, sitting atop the OBU platform.

Sample Messaging Library

An 802.11p module is designed, prototyped and tested as the communications technology for the work package 7 primary demonstrator. The module is based on an automotive grade 802.11p V2X transceiver module and is compliant with ETSI and ITS G5 for European and North American market compliance. This is integrated with a high precision GNSS module with multi-band and multi-constellation support for highest accuracy device positioning.

Software integration of these modules is also completed to work with the OBU and RSU platforms. It is worth noting that 4G LTE module integration and 5G prototype system integration work has also been tested although these were originally outside the scope of development for the project.

The combination of the systems above aims to allow both V2X and the non-V2X entities to become visible to vehicles inline with the scope of the work package 7 demonstrator.

Road Works Warning Use-Case Architecture

Further, integration of the CAN module from work package 4 and a Data Broker solution based on MQTT is also implemented. Again, these are not part of the original prototype development scope but have been delivered during the course of the project.