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• Printed Circuit Design - Proteus / Cadstar
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• Vehicle Network Electronics : CAN, ISO-9141, Keyword 2000, SCP, J1850, General Motors Class2, Ford GM-LAN, .........
• Barcode reader integration and data capture
• Machine Vision Systems
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• Relational Database Design
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Trademarks mentioned above belong to the respective companies.

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CAN - Controller Area Network

Automotive

CAN was originally developed for passenger car applications. Nowadays, the majority of European carmakers use CAN networks at least for the engine management. US carmakers have also decided to use CAN in power-engine applications, and the Far East companies have already started to develop CAN-based in-vehicle networks.

In addition, some passenger cars are equipped with CAN-based multiplex systems connecting body electronic ECUs. These networks run at lower data-rates, e.g. 125k bit/s. Most of them don't use the high-speed transceivers compliant with ISO 11898-2, but fault-tolerant transceivers compliant with ISO 11898-3. These multiplex networks link door and roof control units as well as lighting control units and seat control units.

In some passenger cars a CAN-based diagnostic interface is implemented. This interface may be based on the ISO 15765 standard (Diagnostics on CAN) describing physical layer, transport layer, application layer, and how to use the Keyword 2000 services.

Another application of CAN-based networks in passenger cars is to connect entertainment devices. Beside some proprietary solution (e.g. MCnet from Bosch), the SAE has started the specification of the IDB-C, which is a CAN-based network using extended frame format.

The different CAN-based in-vehicle networks are connected via gateways. In many system designs, the gateway functionality is implemented in the dashboard. In the future, the dashboard itself may use a local CAN network to connect the different display and control units.

Automation

CAN networks are used in many different machines for internal control. One of the first users was the textile machine industry. Textile machine manufacturers have implemented CAN since the early 90's. CAN networks are also used in printing, packaging and different special-purpose machines. Important applications include injection moulding machines, wood processing machines as well as vending and gambling machines. In these applications CAN is used as embedded network connecting programmable controller, I/O devices and motion controllers. CAN-based networks provide not only real-time capability but also flexibility, which is required if you like to optimize internal machine communication.

In the early days of CAN, many machine control manufacturers have developed proprietary CAN solutions. Nowadays, many of these companies migrate to CANopen, and for new designs CANopen is chosen not only in Europe. The German offset printing machine industry has decided to use CANopen as integration platform for third party sub-systems, and some of them use CANopen also for the internal machine communication.

DeviceNet

For further information on CAN visit the CAN in Automation Website

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DeviceNet

In the USA and in the Far East, the CAN-based DeviceNet is one of the most successful networks for factory automation. DeviceNet specification maintained by the Open DeviceNet Vendor Association (ODVA) includes device profiles. In Europe, few system designers have chosen CANopen for similar applications.

Lafarge, a supplier of building materials such as cement, concrete and aggregate installed DeviceNet in its Alpena cement-producing facility, generating approximately 2.5 million tons per year. Five large rotary kilns operate 24 hours a day and run every day of the year, except for an annual maintenance shutdown. Approximately 500 motors, varying in size from one half to 450 kW/h, run various kiln functions. The loss of a critical motor could shut a kiln down and dramatically impact on the plant's productivity and its profitability -- especially since the five kilns average more than 9,500 tons of clinker a week.

Another typical DeviceNet application is the Modelo brewery in Mexico producing the famous Corona beer. The challenge to Sasib Beverage system house was to install a high-speed line while preserving production on the existing line. Additionally, the facility spreads over a wide area, introducing the need to distribute intelligence through long production lines, up to 100 m in length. The brewers needed to be able to integrate different pieces of equipment, motors, PLC's I/O modules and operator interface terminals, without filling up the plant with cables. This was achieved by using DeviceNet.

One of the first DeviceNet users, Rhode Island Beverage, installed two bottling lines using hard-wired I/O. Retrofitting the bottling line with DeviceNet helped reducing installation costs, improved system performance and responds to changes in the marketplace. The company's experience in upgrading this line demonstrates the benefits that today's emerging device network technologies can deliver throughout the life cycle of an automation control system.

For further information visit the DeviceNet website

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LIN - Local Interconnect Network

LIN is a new low cost serial communication system intended to be used for distributed electronic systems in vehicles, which complements the existing portfolio of automotive multiplex networks (see figure below).

LIN is a holistic communication concept for local interconnect networks in vehicles. The specification covers in addition to the definition of the protocol and the physical layer also the definition of interfaces for development tools and application software.

LIN enables a cost-effective communication for smart sensors and actuators where the bandwidth and versatility of CAN is not required. The communication is based on the SCI (UART) data format, a single-master/multiple-slave concept, a single-wire 12V bus, and a clock synchronization for nodes without stabilized time base.

Until today no automotive standard in low end multiplex communication has established. The LIN consortium has been developed to standardize a concept of a serial low cost communication concept in conjunction with a development environment, that enables the car manufacturers and their suppliers to create, implement, and handle complex hierarchical multiplex systems in a very cost competitive way. 

The LIN standard will reduce the manifold of existing low-end SCI based multiplex solutions and will cut the cost of development, production, service, and logistics in vehicle electronics.

The LIN specification covers the transmission protocol, the transmission medium, the interfaces for development tools, and application software. LIN guarantees the interoperability of network nodes from the viewpoint of hardware and software, and a predictable EMC behaviour.

This concept allows the implementation of a seamless chain of development and design tools and enhances the speed of development and the reliability of the network.

The key features of LIN are;

• Low cost single-wire implementation
• Enhanced ISO 9141, V_BAT-Based 
• Speed up to 20Kbit/s
• Acceptable speed for many applications (limited for EMI-reasons) 
• Single Master / Multiple Slave Concept 
• No arbitration necessary 
• Low cost silicon implementation based on common UART/SCI interface hardware
• Almost any microcontroller has necessary hardware on chip
• Self synchronization in the slave nodes without crystal or ceramics resonator
• Significant cost reduction of hardware platform
• Guaranteed latency times for signal transmission 
• Predictable systems possible

MOST - Media Orientated System Transport

Automobiles have evolved from having a simple radio with perhaps a cassette or CD player to having a variety of sophisticated information systems that need to communicate and interact with each other and with a human user.

Cars today include GPS navigation systems that can work in conjunction with a security system to locate a stolen car. Car occupant safety requires the driver to concentrate on controlling the car rather than on the intricacies of the individual components. The car telephone needs to interact with the stereo system to mute it when a call is requested or received. Voice control and hands-free speakerphones require a microphone to digitize the voice. Display systems are needed for navigation information and DVD playback.

To be effective all of these subsystems must interface with the car driver, present audio and visual information in a wide variety of formats to inform the driver and/or to entertain the passengers, and be able to manage the information to safely present it to the user as it comes from the various components.

The most efficient and cost effective way to continue the innovations in all these areas is to allow the devices to be developed independently and then be networked together using standard hardware and software interfaces. Digital interoperability will be required.

Options will be easy to add since the network provides the infrastructure to transfer information from one device to another. Cars will be customized to each buyer's preferences right at the dealership and will not depend on a pre-selected list. Safety will be enhanced as components have well defined interfaces to interoperate and are easily controlled from the user interfaces.

Media Oriented Systems Transport is a multimedia fibre-optic network optimized for automotive applications. It is a network developed by the automotive industry for the automotive industry. Its design allows it to provide a low-overhead and low-cost interface for the simplest of devices, such as microphones and speakers. At the same time, more intelligent devices can automatically determine the features and functions provided by all other devices on the network and establish sophisticated control mechanisms to take away distractions from the driver of the car as different subsystems try to communicate information to him.

The features of MOST make it suitable for any application, inside or outside the car that needs to network multimedia information along with data and control functions

For further information on MOST visit the MOST Website

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The Universal Measurement and Calibration Protocol Family:

In the automotive sector it is common usage to interconnect ECUs in a CAN network. For measurement and calibration purposes, the CAN Calibration Protocol (CCP) is widely used. However, ECUs are becoming more performing and more complex and new networks (e.g. TTCAN FlexRay and MOST) are being developed. The next generation of measurement and calibration protocols has to be flexible to fulfil the requirements of these new networks.

"XCP" describes an improved and generalized version of CCP version 2.1 that can be used in networks other than CAN. The main advantage of XCP is the transport layer independency. Together with its scalable design, low resource consumption and the high performance, XCP fulfils all the requirements to be the universal measurement and calibration protocol of the future.

The XCP specification is split into one "Protocol Layer" and several "Transport Layers". The "Protocol Layer" specification defines the generic measurement and calibration protocol which is independent from the network type being used. The different "Transport Layer" specifications define how XCP is transported in the different network types. Members of the XCP protocol family are e.g. "XCP on CAN" (being the successor of CCP), "XCP on Ethernet", "XCP on USB" and so on.

XCP is standardized as an ASAM specification (Association for Standardization of Automation and Measuring Systems). The current version 1.0 specifies the generic Protocol Layer and Transport Layers for CAN, SxI (serial interfaces), TCP/IP and UDP/IP. New members of the XCP protocol family are e.g. "XCP on USB", "XCP on LIN" and "XCP on FlexRay" (they are currently under development).

The basic features of XCP provide the functionality for synchronous data acquisition/stimulation, read/write access and calibration data page initialization/switching. Furthermore XCP supports ECU flash programming.

In comparison to CCP, XCP on CAN has a higher efficiency and throughput, combined with more compatibility. The support for power-up data transfer and data page freezing has also been improved in XCP on CAN. New mechanisms for auto-detection and auto-configuration of ECUs and measurement modules have been added.

Additionally to its Standard Master-Slave Mode, XCP supports a Block Communication Mode and an Interleaved Communication Mode. XCP supports dynamic data transfer configuration for synchronous data acquisition and stimulation. The data transfer itself can be synchronized, time stamped and prioritized. As for calibration, XCP supports atomic bit modification and bit wise data stimulation.

For further information on XCP please visit the ASAM website 

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PROFIBUS

Communication in automation is becoming increasingly direct, horizontally at field level as well as vertically through all hierarchy levels. Depending on the application and the price, graduated, matching industrial communication systems such as the Ethernet-based PROFInet, the field bus PROFIBUS and other systems like the sensor/actuator bus AS-Interface offer the ideal preconditions for transparent networking in all areas and levels of the automation process.

At sensor/actuator level the signals of the binary sensors and actuators are transmitted via a sensor/actuator bus. Here, a particularly simple, low-cost installation technique, through which data and a 24-volt power supply for the end devices are transmitted using a common medium, is an important requirement. The data are transmitted purely cyclically. AS-Interface is a suitable bus system for this field of applications.
At field level the distributed peripherals, such as I/O modules, measuring transducers, drive units, valves and operator terminals communicate with the automation systems via an efficient, real-time communication system. The transmission of the process data is effected cyclically, while alarms, parameters and diagnostic data also have to be transmitted acyclically if necessary. PROFIBUS meets these requirements and offers a transparent solution for manufacturing as well as for process automation.
At cell level, the programmable controllers such as PLC and IPC communicate with each other. The information flow requires large data packets and a large number of powerful communication functions. Smooth integration into company-wide communication systems, such as Intranet and Internet via TCP/IP and Ethernet are important requirements.

For further information on PROFIBUS visit the PROFIBUS website

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Glossary

Below we have provided a glossary of some of the most common acronyms or TLA's and standards used in the automotive industry in relation to vehicle electrics.

Many of the entries are linked to further information pages.

Acronym	Meaning
ALDL	Assembly Line Diagnostics Link (Precursor of OBD)
ASAM	Association for Standardization of Automation and Measuring Systems
CAN	Controller Area Network
CAN 2.0A	Using 11bit Identifiers
CAN 2.0B	Using 29bit Identifiers
CARB	California Air Resources Board
CCP	CAN Calibration Protocol
DTC	Diagnostics Trouble Code
ECOS	Electrical Check Out System (AKA VETS)
ECU	Electronic Control Unit
EOBD	European Onboard Diagnostics
ISO 11519-4	Off-Board Diagnostics SAE J1850
ISO 11898	Controller Area Network (CAN)
ISO 14230	KW2000 Off-Board Diagnostics
ISO 15031-3.6	Specification for the J1962 / OBD / EOBD connector
ISO 15764	Road vehicles - Extended Data Link Security
ISO 15765-1	Diagnostics on CAN - Part 1: general information
ISO 9141-2	Road vehicles - Diagnostic systems - Part 2: CARB requirements for interchange of digital information
J1962	Vehicle Diagnostics Connector
KW2000	Keyword 2000 Diagnostics Protocol (see ISO 14230)
LIN	Local Interconnect Network
MIL	Malfunction Indicator Light
MOST	Media Oriented System Transport
OBDII	On Board Diagnostics (RevII)
OSEK	Open Systems and the Corresponding Interfaces for Automotive Electronics
PID	Parameter ID
SCP	Ford Standard CorporateProtocol
VETS	Vehicle Electrical Test System (AKA ECOS)
XCP	Universal CAN Calibration Protocol

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