TECHTALK

JUST BECAUSE ITS CAN IT DOESNT MEAN YOU CANT!

MULTIPLEX/CAN DATABUS SYSTEMS PART 1
Motor manufacturers have used multiplexing for many years, but recently its use has reached a new level. The incorporation of such systems into a vehicle affects all that work within this industry but no more so than in the independent aftermarket. To understand multiplexing in its simplest form, consider that a single computer has a finite amount of processing power and storage space. Once that space is fully utilised, the computer is unable to store and therefore display any further information. Now consider that same computer connected to the Internet. The computer can now theoretically access and display any and all of the information stored on every other computer connected to the Internet (of which there are many millions). The advantages to be gained are clear and this concept has not been lost on automotive engineers. There are of course computers on a modern vehicle (ECUs) controlling anything from systems that manage the fuelling and ignition of the engine, to emergency braking applications and power windows, among many others. If information can be shared between these ECUs, there are many advantages to be gained in the areas of improved functionality and cost reduction. The sharing of information is termed multiplexing. Diagram 1 represents one method for the sharing of information. Each switch that the driver controls provides a signal to the ECU on the left. This ECU relays the drivers demands to the ECU on the right that has responsibility for control of the relevant actuators (light, motor, heater, solenoid) using a single dedicated wire for each switched signal. This system would certainly work effectively, and did so for a number of years it was the motor industrys first step in the sharing of information between ECUs. But this system has its limitations. As consumer demand for more advanced electrical/electronic systems escalated and the commercial competitiveness of the motor manufacturers came to are asked to perform. If a separate individual were required for each of those tasks because each person can only do one thing, how many people would your dealership have to employ?

Diagram 2

Diagram 1

bear, the number of wires required to enable the required functionality became unmanageable. Think about the number of tasks that you on a daily basis

Diagram 2 shown represents the solution. The ECU on the left now transfers the drivers demand to the actuator-controlling ECU via a single wire. Each driver demand is encoded by the transmitting ECU and each demand will have a unique code. The receiving ECU then decodes the data and acts accordingly, i.e. turn on the light, motor, heater, or solenoid. Simple! The advantages are evident: a vast reduction in wires and a subsequent reduction in terminals with enhanced reliability. Fewer wires and terminals also mean smaller electrical connectors and ultimately smaller ECUs (it is often the size of the ECU connector that prevents the ECU being made smaller). The combined advantage represents a large cost reduction to the motor manufacturer. It is not only driver demand data that can be shared this way sensor information can also be shared among ECUs. Diagram 3 shows an example of this. The water temperature sensor provides the engine ECU with temperature information in the conventional way, but rather than keeping this information to itself, it encodes it and shares it with other ECUs that may need to know this. In the example shown, this is the air conditioning ECU (for control of the interior temperature through correct use of the heater matrix) and the meter ECU for correct display of the engine temperature. Where in the past multiple sensors were needed, all gathering the same information and supplying it to different ECUs, we can now use just a single sensor and all ECUs that need the information can receive it through Diagram 3

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the shared approach. This represents a further con-siderable cost saving to the manufacturer and increased reliability.

TYPES OF MULTIPLEX
There are a number of different multiplex systems used by differing manufacturers: CAN DATABUS (European Bosch) Controller Area Network Databus All relevant ECUs on the vehicle grouped logically BEAN (Japanese) Body Electronics Area Network Primarily consists of the ECUs that control the body systems UART (Japanese) Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter Used as a dedicated link for control systems e.g. engine ECU and VSC AVC-LAN (Japanese) Audio Visual Communication Local Area Network Consists of the ECUs that control the audio and visual systems

NETWORKS
A network is a group of ECUs all connected together on the vehicle for the purpose of data sharing. A vehicle-multiplexed network is often referred to as a LAN (Local Area Network) as the networked ECUs have no external link, i.e. no connection outside the vehicle the network is local to the vehicle only.

The Federation of Engine Remanufacturers is planning to make its training programmes more widely available to non-members in a bid to help garages get better value for money from engine repair work. Many dealerships and garages throughout the UK already rely on a range of engine remanufacturing products and services provided by FER members, but its fair to say that a lot of garages also use some less qualified providers, too, says FER secretary Brian Ludford.

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IN SUMMARY
Multiplexing is simply a system enabling the sharing of information on a vehicle. In Part 2 we will be discussing exactly how these systems communicate and share information, and highlight the differences between those used by different motor manufacturers. We will also discuss how to identify a multiplex network through the effective use of an oscilloscope and how to carry out fault diagnosis on such systems. If you would like to study multiplex /CAN databus systems in more detail we would be delighted to provide you with a place on one of our technical courses. Please see details below on how to contact us. ProAuto Limited are an automotive technical training company based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Our core business is the design and delivery of technical training to the automotive industry, which includes vehicle manufacturers, component manufacturers, diagnostic equipment manufacturers and independent garages. We run courses from numerous select venues nationally, so a course is never too far away. For further details you can visit our website at www.proautotraining.com email us at info@proautotraining.com or telephone on 01743 709679.

The Internet is a WAN (Wide Area Network). It should be noted that a number of vehicles can now communicate externally using a system referred to as telematics. The example shown has six ECUs and all of these will be able to see the data that represents the sensor information being received by the one ECU that is actually hard wired to it. The wire (or wires, but more on this in part 2 of this subject) that connects the ECUs together to form the network and act as the communication link is referred to as a communication bus. A bus in the conventional sense takes passengers from one place to the next; the communication bus does much the same with data, hence its name. Another advantage of networking is that it does not matter which ECU the sensor is actually hard wired to as all ECUs on the network receive the information regardless. Manufacturers often take advantage of this and connect the sensor to the physically nearest ECU, as this means the wires can be made shorter (weight and cost saving). This approach is referred to as zonal partitioning.

The FER training programme includes a number of courses certified under the Quality Assured Awards scheme developed by the Institute of the Motor Industry. These include cylinder heads and lower engine block. For more information contact Brian Ludford on 01752 863681

The AutoCat CD-Rom component catalogue from Autoclimate for air con technicians includes a fast search which identifies the relevant part by vehicle type and component number and provides details of VM references and recommended retail prices. There are free bi-monthly updates on Autoclimates a/c components.

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