Silicon Updates: Top Ten Things You Should Know About C-V2X for a “Connected” future

V2X stands for Vehicle-to-Everything. This a mode of communication in an “ecosystem” created by a vehicle and any other “connected” entity. In simple words to say, communication between an electronic gadget and your vehicle to ease the way of living.

C-V2X stands for Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything. In V2X communication, the devices may be connected to the vehicle through ethernet, Wi-Fi or any other communication technology. But in C-V2X, the ecosystem is completely based upon the connectivity of the entities within a cellular network.

On 31^st October, the tech giants AT&T, Qualcomm, Ford and Nokia collaborated to announce their full-fledged R&D for C-V2X communication technology in San Diego. In this context, this article presents you the top ten things you should know about C-V2X for a “connected” future.

1. C-V2X is expected to be available commercially by 2020. In March 2017, Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has finalized the specifications for C-V2X. On the other hand, 5^th Generation Automotive Association (5GAA) has been working on defining and testing of the technology

2. C-V2X is superior in radio performance than its predecessors. Most of the predecessors of C-V2X, including V2X, use LTE for communication. But C-V2X draws its advantage being implemented with the most advanced, sophisticated and efficient 5G communication technology. Hence, the performance of C-V2X, in comparison, varies drastically.

5G Connectivity in C-V2X

3. C-V2X is forward and backward compatible. As C-V2X is still under rigorous development, forward and backward compatibility issues are also major concerns. Also, C-V2X will be the first and full-fledged application of 5G. When a vehicle is connected to every possible entity, the amount of data transferred between the vehicle and the entities is evidently high. Along with high amounts of data, the data rate should also be high enough to provide flawless communication. High throughput, high reliability, wideband carrier support and ultra-low latency are the major advantages of 5G.

4. C-V2X is cost-effective. The world today is mobile driven. As C-V2X is a driven by mobile communication networks, the cost to bring this technology into real-time is lesser than other technologies. With this advantage, deploying, managing and maintaining C-V2X is far effective.

5. C-V2X is a safe technology. 3GPP defines rigorous minimum performance specifications that ensure a predictable, uniform and guaranteed in-field experience to enable applications as critical as road safety.

Safety in C-V2X

6. C-V2X is designed to work on ITS spectrum for saving lives. Vehicles equipped with C-V2X technology can be communicated in two modes – Active safety mode and Infotainment mode. For active safety mode, C-V2X implements the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) spectrum to communicate with different entities of the ecosystem. For Infotainment mode, C-V2X implements the cellular spectrum.

7. C-V2X is designed for low-latency direct communication. C-V2X Direct Communications provides enhanced range and reliability without relying on cellular network assistance or coverage. It enables exchanging real-time safety messages for V2V, V2I, and V2P without requiring any kind of cellular subscription.

8. C-V2X is designed for high-speed vehicle use cases. With the implementation of C-V2X, the control over a vehicle becomes more effective and efficient. Hence, the roads can be laid supporting up to 500 Kmph ranging speeds.

9. C-V2X features robust synchronization even without GNSS. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is the technology used for C-V2X vehicles for navigation. 3GPP has designed protocols for C-V2X such that the transit is not interrupted even in the absence of GNSS.

10. C-V2X focuses on security. The C-V2X technology is being developed in compliance with different security standards from International Organization for Standardization (ISO), IEEE and European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI).

In vision of these advances and advantages, the momentum driving C-V2X is increasing as different Tier-1 automobile companies, mobile companies and semiconductor companies are joining hands to provide a “connected” environment for transportation.