When you mention vehicle communications, most people think of CAN bus first. And yeah, for the past decade or so, CAN gateways have been the backbone of automotive electronic systems. But with autonomous driving and V2X (vehicle-to-everything) technologies rolling out, traditional CAN gateways are starting to show their age.I recently got my hands on the SV900 vehicle gateway, and honestly, you can’t just call this thing a “CAN gateway” anymore—it’s basically redefining what vehicle communication systems should be.

What Bottlenecks Are Traditional CAN Gateways Hitting?

Let’s talk about the old problems first. Traditional CAN gateways mainly do three things: protocol conversion, signal routing, and network isolation. This works fine for conventional vehicles—when you’re just passing brake signals and RPM data between ECUs, CAN bus bandwidth of 500Kbps to 1Mbps is plenty.But things have changed. A single autonomous vehicle test platform, loaded with lidar, millimeter-wave radar, and multiple cameras, generates several gigabytes of data per second. All this data needs real-time transmission to the cloud for processing, plus receiving control commands back. Traditional CAN gateway? Sorry, it doesn’t even have enough ethernet ports.There’s another real-world problem—network stability. When a test vehicle hits the highway, 4G signals come and go. Take a sharp turn into a tunnel, and the signal just drops. If you’re in the middle of an OTA update or remote monitoring session, you’re in trouble.

How Do Dual 5G Vehicle Gateways Solve These Problems?

Dual Network Redundancy: Say Goodbye to “Disconnection Anxiety”

The standout feature of the SV900 is dual 5G networking. Notice I said two 5G modules, not one.This design is clever. Two SIM cards running on different carrier networks. Say one’s on China Mobile, the other on China Unicom. When one network is weak or congested, it automatically switches to the other. I’ve tested this—on certain sections of the Beijing-Tibet Expressway with poor signal, a single 5G card drops to around 30Mbps, but dual-card aggregation stays stable above 80Mbps.For commercial scenarios like autonomous delivery vehicles and robotaxis, even a few seconds of network interruption can cause problems. The dual 5G solution is basically “double insurance” for communications.

M12 Aviation Connectors: This Is What Automotive-Grade Should Look Like

You might think connectors aren’t that important. But if you’ve seen standard ethernet ports come loose or fall off after a test vehicle runs on rough roads for a few hours, you’ll understand why M12 aviation connectors matter so much.The SV900 comes with 5 M12 ethernet ports, plus one M12-X connector that integrates RS232, RS485, and CAN interfaces. These threaded, locking connectors are IP67-rated—waterproof, dustproof, and vibration-resistant. I’ve seen teams run these in desert test sites for three months straight with zero connector issues.Compare that to devices using standard RJ45 ports—loose connections after a few days of vibration are the norm, and you’re constantly stopping to check cables.

Not Just a Gateway, But a Data Relay Station

This device has built-in multi-network aggregation SDK that can stack bandwidth from multiple networks. For instance, if each 5G connection has 100Mbps, theoretically you can achieve close to 200Mbps transfer speeds.In real applications, we’ve used it to transmit real-time video streams from vehicle cameras—four 1080P feeds simultaneously with latency under 100ms. This is critical for remote driving takeover scenarios—the safety operator needs to see real-time footage with no noticeable delay.It also supports NTRIP protocol, which is super useful for teams doing high-precision positioning. Vehicles can receive differential correction data through the gateway in real-time, improving GPS accuracy from meter-level to centimeter-level.

Log Storage: No More Guessing When Troubleshooting

There’s another practical feature—FLASH log storage. All network data, CAN messages, and system events during vehicle operation can be stored locally.I once encountered a weird issue: a test vehicle lost connection for 30 seconds at an intersection, but the cloud logs showed nothing. Later, pulling the gateway’s local logs revealed it was a brief interruption caused by nearby 5G base station handover. With this feature, many intermittent problems can be traced and reconstructed.

 

Real-World Applications: What Can It Actually Do?

Autonomous Delivery Vehicles: Stability Above All

Many campuses and communities now run autonomous delivery vehicles. These vehicles aren’t fast, but they demand extremely stable networks—order allocation, route planning, remote monitoring all depend on connectivity.After deploying dual 5G gateways, delivery vehicles maintain connection even in parking garages and dense building areas with poor signal. Operators can see real-time position, battery level, and order status for each vehicle, significantly improving dispatch efficiency.

Robotaxi Testing: Data Transmission Without Dropping the Ball

Autonomous driving test vehicles generate several terabytes of data daily. Onboard storage can’t handle it—data must be transmitted in real-time or near real-time. The traditional approach is uploading via wired network at the base overnight, but that’s too inefficient for testing.With high-bandwidth dual 5G gateways, you can transmit while driving. I’ve seen teams start labeling and training on daytime test data by evening, cutting their iteration cycle in half.

Mining Operations: The Ultimate Environmental Test

Mining environments are even harsher—high temperatures, dust, vibration, poor signals. The SV900’s M12 connectors and dual 5G redundancy really shine in these scenarios.There’s an open-pit mine case where operators deployed over a dozen autonomous mining trucks using dual 5G gateways for remote monitoring and emergency takeover. Over six months, there wasn’t a single production stoppage due to communication issues.

Traditional CAN Gateway vs. Next-Gen 5G Vehicle Gateway

Let’s compare the two generations:Traditional CAN Gateway:

• Main function: Protocol conversion for in-vehicle buses (CAN, LIN, FlexRay)
• Network access: At most one 4G module, limited bandwidth
• Interfaces: Standard ethernet ports, DB9, etc.
• Use cases: Traditional vehicle diagnostics, T-Box functions

Next-Gen 5G Vehicle Gateway (like SV900):

• Main function: In-vehicle bus + vehicle-cloud communication + edge computing
• Network access: Dual 5G/5G+4G with aggregatable bandwidth
• Interfaces: Automotive-grade M12 aviation connectors, vibration and interference resistant
• Use cases: Autonomous driving, V2X, remote driving

Simply put, the next generation isn’t just a “gateway”—it’s more like the central hub for vehicle communications and computing.

 

 

 

What Should You Look For When Choosing a Vehicle Gateway?

If you’re selecting equipment for a project, here are some key points based on practical experience:1. Define Your Bandwidth RequirementsIf you’re just transmitting CAN messages and GPS positions, single 4G works. But for video, lidar point clouds, go straight to 5G—dual 5G if you can swing it.2. Check Interfaces and Protection RatingTest vehicles and commercial vehicles absolutely need automotive-grade interfaces. Saving a few hundred bucks on consumer-grade products will cost you ten times more in maintenance later.3. Don’t Overlook Software FeaturesNTRIP, multi-network aggregation, local storage—these might seem unnecessary at first, but when problems arise, you’ll realize how important they are.4. Consider ScalabilityVehicle projects iterate quickly. Today’s solution might need upgrading in six months. Choose a device with rich interfaces and OTA-upgradeable software to avoid many detours.

Abschließende Überlegungen

The evolution from CAN gateway to 5G vehicle gateway isn’t just about bandwidth upgrades—it’s a complete restructuring of vehicle communication architecture. Traditional “in-vehicle communication” is evolving toward “vehicle-cloud-infrastructure coordination,” and the gateway’s role is transforming from a simple protocol converter to a critical node connecting vehicles with the intelligent transportation ecosystem.Products like the SV900 represent the new direction for vehicle communication equipment. Dual 5G redundancy, automotive-grade interfaces, multi-network aggregation, edge storage—these features aren’t about spec sheet bragging rights, but are genuinely designed from the actual needs of autonomous driving and connected vehicles.If your project involves autonomous driving testing, unmanned delivery, or V2X, seriously evaluate this type of next-generation vehicle gateway. After all, in the world of intelligent connected vehicles, communication stability often determines how far your project can go.