A Robust Multi-Port Network Interface Architecture with Real-Time CRC-Based Fault Recovery for In-Vehicle Communication Networks

As the automotive industry continues to evolve rapidly, there is a growing demand for high-throughput reliable communication systems within vehicles. This paper presents the implementation and verification of a fault-tolerant Ethernet-based communication protocol tailored for automotive applications operating at 1 Gbps and above. The proposed system introduces a multi-port Network Interface Controller (NIC) architecture that supports real-time communication and robust fault handling. To ensure adaptability across various in-vehicle network (IVN) scenarios, the system allows for configurable packet sizes and transmission rates and supports diverse data formats. The architecture integrates cyclic redundancy check (CRC)-based error detection, real-time recovery mechanisms, and file-driven data injection techniques. Functional validation is performed using Verilog HDL simulations, demonstrating deterministic timing behavior, modular scalability, and resilience under fault injection. This paper presents a fault-tolerant Network Interface Controller (NIC), architecture incorporating CRC-based error detection, real-time recovery logic, and file-driven data injection. The system is verified through Verilog HDL simulation, demonstrating correct timing behavior, modular scalability, and robustness against injected transmission faults. Compared to conventional dual-port NICs, the proposed quad-port architecture demonstrates superior scalability and error tolerance under injected fault conditions. Experimental results confirm that the proposed NIC architecture achieves stable multi-port communication under embedded automotive environments. This study further introduces a novel quad-port NIC with an integrated fault injection algorithm and evaluates its performance in terms of error tolerance.