ARXML is the general AUTOSAR exchange format. It can express several things in one file or split over multiple files.
Regarding "networking", it can contain a whole system in one file, compared to DBC files. So instead of 2 or more DBC files, all can be contained in a single SystemDescription (see also AUTOSAR_TPS_SystemTemplate).
The main entry point into a proper SystemDescription
/ SystemExtract
or EcuExtract
is actually the System
, which should have a list of all so called FibexElements used/refered to by the system. These FibexElement
s are CommunicationClusters, EcuInstances, Frames, Pdus (in different kinds), ISignals and ISignalGroups, ...
The category
attribute of a System
actually tells you, if you have a SYSTEM_DESCRIPTION
, a SYSTEM_EXTRACT
, an ECU_EXTRACT
, or just an ABSTRACT_SYSTEM_DESCRIPTION
.. in the file.
You can look for Clusters (CanCluster, EthernetCluster, FlexrayCluster), EcuInstances (which have e.g. multiple CanCommunicationControllers and CanCommunicationConnectors, which refer to the CanCommunicationController). CommunicationChannelConnectors are refrenced from a PhysicalChannel below a Cluster.
To understand, how the information is comtained in the ARXML file, you should actually read the AUTOSAR_TPS_SystemTemplate.
BTW. There is no SumIP as "network". If you mean SOME/IP, this is not a network, but some higher layer protocol over Ethernet.
Also keep in mind, when you have two DBC files, the network there gets the name of the DBC file. In ARXML files and due to the splitable concept, if you have 2 ARXML files and each file has a CanCommunicationCluster named CanCluster
, the AUTOSAR tools will usually merge them together into a single CanCluster
due to the same name. So, if you have 2 separate clusters, give them unique names, even though they are in two separate ARXML files.