Enhanced Connectivity for Non-Critical In-Vehicle Systems Using EnRF24L01

Abstract

There has been a significant paradigm shift from wired to wireless technology in in-vehicular networks. This shift is driven by the need for greater scalability, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility. In the automotive industry, traditional wired protocols such as the local interconnect network (LIN) and media-oriented systems transport (MOST) for non-critical systems (NCSs) add complexity to installation and maintenance, incur higher material costs, and offer limited scalability and mobility. NCSs, such as infotainment and weather forecast systems, do not require low latency and do not impair vehicle function when unavailable. This article presents an advanced methodology for enhancing connectivity in noncritical in-vehicular networks using Nordic Semiconductor’s (nRFs) enhanced-nRF24L01 (EnRF24L01) module. The EnRF24L01 module is the nRF24L01 module that incorporated the Sensor-Medium Access Control (S-MAC) algorithm for energy-efficient communication. The proposed method enables seamless communication between NCSs using a tree-based primary and secondary architecture, where the primary is the actuator and the secondary is the sensor node. To optimize energy efficiency using synchronized sleep/wake schedules, reduce power consumption, and enhance scalability, the S-MAC protocol was incorporated. Comprehensive experiments were conducted in simulated environments using optimized network engineering tool (OPNET) and Proteus Circuit Simulators, analyzing critical performance metrics: latency, jitter, throughput, packet delivery ratio (PDR), and energy efficiency. The results indicate that the proposed method supports a greater number of nodes with enhanced data transmission rates and operates at lower voltages, thereby extending the communication range and reducing overall power consumption. Additionally, hardware simulation results demonstrate the successful integration of EnRF24L01 modules with Arduino for wireless data transmission, showing significant improvements in scalability, energy efficiency, and adaptability, as well as architectural and operational costs and maintenance efficiency.