Cutting-edge vehicular platform for testing high-end CCAM applications

The LINKS On Board Unit represents a flexible research platform designed to test advanced CCAM use cases. Its main purpose is to provide support for experimenting with innovative applications based on C-ITS messages and information received from fixed sensors along the road. Additionally, it allows for experimenting with new C-ITS messages or extensions of existing ones, thus offering a wide range of research and development possibilities in the field of vehicular communication.

From a hardware perspective, LINKS V2X OBU is based on a platform with NVIDIA GPU. It utilizes the Jetson Xavier™ NX board as a base, with the option to use the Jetson Orin™ NX board on demand, thus ensuring sufficient computing power to handle computationally intensive tasks.

Regarding network connectivity, the OBU offers a wide range of options. It features a Telit 5G modem for long-range connectivity, supporting both 4G and 5G networks. For short-range connectivity, LTE-V2x or ETSI ITS G5 (IEEE 802.11p) can be used, ensuring reliable and low-latency communication between vehicles and infrastructure.

In terms of localization, the OBU is equipped with a uBlox GNSS receiver with RTK, ensuring high precision in determining the vehicle’s position. Additionally, it offers a range of additional interfaces, including Ethernet, CAN-bus, and WiFi/Bluetooth, providing maximum flexibility in interfacing with other devices and systems.

From a software perspective, the OBU features a specific application to identify relevant information for vehicle events and traffic light information. Furthermore, it offers a network interface for vehicle data, based on DBC for CAN-bus or protobuf, allowing for easy integration with other systems and applications.

Finally, the OBU’s feature development project is ongoing. Some of the features under development include OBU configuration and management and an Android-based user interface, allowing for the visualization of other vehicles and traffic light information, thus enhancing safety and driving experience. In summary, the LINKS On Board Unit represents a versatile and advanced research platform designed to support the development and experimentation of new technologies and applications in the field of vehicular communication and autonomous driving.