In the age of software-defined vehicles, automotive platforms are undergoing a rapid transformation. As vehicles integrate more electronics, offer advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and enable over-the-air (OTA) updates, traditional in-vehicle communication protocols like CAN are increasingly complemented — and in some cases, replaced — by Automotive Ethernet. Among its many benefits, Ethernet offers high bandwidth, faster communication, and better scalability. One of its most significant applications today is in the realm of vehicle diagnostics, especially through the use of UDS over DoIP (Diagnostics over Internet Protocol).
We are enabling this shift through our comprehensive automotive software suite, RAPIDSEA. With full support for UDS over DoIP, RAPIDSEA provides embedded system developers with a robust, production-ready framework to implement next-generation diagnostics over Ethernet. This blog will explore the rise of Ethernet in vehicles, the diagnostic needs it addresses, introduce the UDS protocol and DoIP transport layer, and showcase how RAPIDSEA simplifies the adoption of these standards.
The Rise of Ethernet in Modern Automotive Platforms
Automotive Ethernet has emerged as a game-changer for in-vehicle communication. Initially adopted for infotainment and camera systems, Ethernet is now making its way into domains like ADAS, gateways, zonal ECUs, and central computing units.
Some key drivers of Ethernet adoption in automotive systems include:
High Bandwidth Requirements: Modern ECUs handle video, radar, and sensor fusion data streams which exceed the limits of traditional buses like CAN or LIN.
Future-Proofing: Ethernet’s scalability up to gigabit speeds makes it ideal for evolving automotive architectures.
Diagnostics and Flashing: Ethernet enables faster ECU flashing and diagnostic response times, reducing service center wait times and improving efficiency.
Zonal Architecture Support: As OEMs shift to zonal and centralized vehicle architectures, Ethernet becomes the unifying backbone.
With Ethernet becoming increasingly central to the E/E architecture, leveraging it for vehicle diagnostics is a logical step forward — leading to the adoption of UDS over DoIP.
Understanding Vehicle Diagnostics and Its Challenges
Modern vehicles can have over 100 million lines of code and dozens of networked ECUs. Keeping these systems operational requires robust diagnostics that not only detect faults but also support:
- Reading sensor and actuator values
- Writing configurations and calibrations
- Running diagnostic routines
- Logging and clearing Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs)
- Performing secure flashing and software updates
However, implementing these features is challenging due to:
Complex Standards: Diagnostic protocols like UDS (ISO 14229) and transport layers like DoIP (ISO 13400) require detailed knowledge and precision.
Timing and Session Management: UDS services must handle strict session transitions and response timeouts.
Security Requirements: Access to critical functions is gated by multi-stage authentication mechanisms (e.g., seed-key security).
Tool Compatibility: Diagnostic stacks must interoperate seamlessly with OEM-specified tools such as Vector CANoe, ETAS INCA, or DTS Monaco.
Platform Constraints: Embedded platforms often have limited resources, making efficient implementation crucial.
To overcome these, a production-ready, standards-compliant stack like RAPIDSEA is invaluable.
UDS: The Diagnostic Standard
Unified Diagnostic Services (UDS), specified in ISO 14229, is the industry standard for in-vehicle diagnostics. It defines a wide array of services that allow external testers to interact with an ECU for fault diagnosis, configuration, testing, and reprogramming.
Some commonly used UDS services include 0x10 – Diagnostic Session Control, 0x11 – ECU Reset, 0x22 – Read Data by Identifier, 0x2E – Write Data by Identifier, 0x27 – Security Access, 0x31 – Routine Control, 0x19 – Read DTC Information, etc.
UDS operates over multiple transport layers — traditionally over CAN (DoCAN), and now increasingly over Ethernet (DoIP) for faster and more scalable diagnostics.
DoIP: Diagnostics over IP
Diagnostics over Internet Protocol (DoIP), defined by ISO 13400, provides a transport mechanism to deliver UDS messages over Ethernet using TCP/IP. DoIP enables high-speed, multiplexed, and remote diagnostics — especially important in scenarios involving OTA updates and service diagnostics.
Key features of DoIP include:
Faster ECU Flashing: DoIP supports higher throughput compared to CAN, making software updates significantly faster.
IP-Based Discovery: Diagnostic tools can automatically detect ECUs over the network.
Scalability and Remote Access: DoIP allows diagnostics over local and remote networks, facilitating dealer-level or even cloud-based diagnostics.
Seamless Integration: Compatible with standard TCP/IP stacks, simplifying deployment on modern SoCs and Ethernet-enabled MCUs.
However, implementing UDS over DoIP from scratch is complex due to the need for protocol conformance, session management, error handling, and network reliability — which is where RAPIDSEA steps in.
RAPIDSEA Suite: Complete UDS over DoIP Stack for Embedded Developers
RAPIDSEA is engineered to help embedded system developers seamlessly integrate diagnostics functionality across both traditional and next-generation platforms. RAPIDSEA offers a modular, configurable, and production-grade implementation of UDS over DoIP, adhering strictly to ISO standards.
Key Highlights of RAPIDSEA’s UDS over DoIP Support:
Standards-Compliant Stack: Full implementation of ISO 13400 (DoIP) and ISO 14229 (UDS).
Integrated TCP/IP Support: Works with popular embedded TCP/IP stacks like lwIP, FreeRTOS+TCP, and commercial alternatives.
Dynamic Node Discovery: Supports DoIP node identification and routing activation protocols.
Security Access: Customizable seed-key authentication for secure diagnostics and flashing.
High Throughput: Optimized for fast flash downloads, ideal for OTA and service center updates.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Runs on a variety of MCUs, SoCs, and RTOSes.
Tool Compatibility: Validated against industry tools like CANoe, ODIS, and others.
Whether you're building a next-gen domain controller, ADAS ECU, or a gateway module, RAPIDSEA empowers you to implement diagnostics with confidence and speed.
Additional Features to Support Vehicle Development
Beyond UDS over DoIP, the RAPIDSEA Suite includes:
- UDS over CAN (DoCAN)
- Flash Bootloader for DoIP and DoCAN
- Diagnostic Event Manager (DEM)
- Network Management and Time Synchronization
- ISO-TP and CAN FD Support
- LIN Stack and Protocol Services
- Security Libraries for Authentication and Secure Boot
With this holistic feature set, RAPIDSEA is ideal for building compliant, modular, and secure automotive embedded software.
Designed for Embedded Developers
RAPIDSEA is more than just a software library — it’s a development ecosystem with:
- Clear and concise documentation
- Well-structured APIs
- Reference implementations
- Flexible licensing models
- Extensive support for integration and validation
We help embedded developers get up and running fast, whether working on a greenfield project or integrating into a legacy platform.
Explore the RAPIDSEA DoIP Documentation.
Conclusion: Empower Your Automotive Diagnostics with RAPIDSEA
As the automotive industry evolves toward Ethernet-based architectures and software-defined vehicles, diagnostics capabilities must evolve in tandem. UDS over DoIP is becoming a cornerstone for faster, secure, and scalable vehicle diagnostics.
RAPIDSEA provides a battle-tested, standards-compliant implementation of UDS over DoIP, helping developers bring diagnostics features to market faster, with lower risk and higher reliability.
If you're looking to build modern, Ethernet-enabled diagnostic ECUs or gateways, RAPIDSEA is your ideal partner.