System, method, and apparatus to support mixed network communications on a vehicle

1. A system comprising:

a vehicle having a first network and a second network of a different type than the first network;

a converged network device (CND) interposed between the first network and the second network and comprising a plurality of ports on the first network; and

a sensor device external to the vehicle;

wherein:

the CND facilitates communications between the first and the second networks;

a first port of the plurality mirrors a second port of the plurality;

the CND is structured to, based at least in part on a port selection command value from the sensor device, assign:

which port, of the plurality of ports, is the first port; and/or

which port, of the plurality of ports, is the second port; and

the sensor device is structured to monitor a flow between end points on at least one of the first or second networks via communicatively coupling with the first port.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first port of the plurality mirrors a third port of the plurality.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor device is structured to monitor one or more devices on the first and/or the second networks via communicatively coupling with the first port.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the CND is further structured to:

assign a first device, of a plurality of devices on the second network, to a first assigned port of the plurality of ports;

identify communications data on the second network corresponding to the first device; and

transmit the identified communications data corresponding to the first device on the first network via the first assigned port.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the CND is further structured to:

assign a second device, of the plurality of devices on the second network, to the second assigned port of the plurality of ports;

identify communications data on the second network corresponding to the second device; and

transmit the identified communications data corresponding to the second device on the first network via the second assigned port.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the CND is further structured to:

assign a second device, of the plurality of devices on the second network, to the first assigned port;

identify communications data on the second network corresponding to the second device; and

transmit the identified communications data corresponding to the second device on the first network via the first assigned port.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the CND further comprises an Ethernet switch that includes the plurality of ports.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first network is Ethernet based.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second network is controller area network (CAN) based.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first network is Ethernet based and the second network is controller area network (CAN) based.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a first network interface circuit having a plurality of ports structured to interpret first communications data of a first network onboard a vehicle;

a second network interface circuit structured to interpret second communications data of a second network onboard the vehicle, the second network of a different type than the first network;

a translation circuit structured to relay the second communications data to the first network interface circuit for transmissions on the first network via at least one port of the plurality; and

a configuration circuit structured to:

interpret a port selection command value from a sensor device external to the vehicle; and

in response to, and based at least on part on, the port selection command value, assign:

which port, of the plurality of ports, is the first port; and/or

which port, of the plurality of ports, is the second port;

wherein the first port of the plurality mirrors the second port of the plurality to provide for the sensor device to monitor a flow between end points on at least one of the first or second networks via communicatively coupling with the first port.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 ,

wherein the configuration circuit is further structured to:

interpret a port assignment command value that identifies both an assigned port, of the plurality of ports, and a device on the second network;

identify portions of the second communications data corresponding to the identified device; and

transmit the identified portions of the second communications data via the assigned port.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first communications data is Ethernet based.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second communications data is controller area network (CAN) based.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first communications data is Ethernet based and the second communications data is controller area network (CAN) based.

16. A method comprising:

interpreting, via a plurality of ports of a converged network device (CND), first communications data of a first network onboard a vehicle;

interpreting, via the CND, second communications data of a second network onboard a vehicle, the second network of a different type than the first network;

relaying, via the CND, the second communications data to the first network via the plurality of ports;

interpreting, from a sensor device external to the vehicle, a port selection command value;

in response to, and based at least in part on, the port selection command value, assigning:

which port, of the plurality of ports, is a first port; and/or

which port, of the plurality of ports, is the second port; and

mirroring the first port of the plurality via the second port of the plurality to provide for the a sensor device external to the vehicle to monitor a flow between end points on at least one of the first or second networks via communicatively coupling with the first port.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising;

interpreting a port assignment command value that identifies both an assigned port, of the plurality of ports, and a device on the second network;

identifying portions of the second communications data corresponding to the identified device; and

transmitting the identified portions of the second communications data via the assigned port.