February_2022 - 40

CAN-FD protocol: Can your
diagnostic tools keep up?
I
t's a well known fact modern vehicles have become
increasingly complex with an ever increasing number
of sensors and control modules. As the number
of sensors has increased, so has the amount of data
flowing between modules. In addition, Advanced
Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) which are common
in many vehicles require very fast communication
between sensors and modules to prevent collisions.
To be able to keep the existing two wire hardware of the vehicle
Controller Area Network (CAN) and improve communication,
the CAN FD communication protocol was released in 2012. This
upgraded communication protocol has been slowly adopted by
vehicle manufacturers over the last decade and is currently common
with new passenger cars & light trucks. The main advantages of
the CAN FD protocol are data transmission rates of up to 5 times
faster compared to standard CAN and larger amounts of data to be
transmitted on the same vehicle wiring. This is achieved by increasing
the message size from 11 bits with standard CAN to 29 bits. The
message payload is also increased from 8 to 64 bytes allowing more
data to be communicated. To maximize the speed and amount of
data, moving across the CAN, the CAN FD protocol can rapidly
switch between high & low data rates depending on demand. To
maintain data integrity and detect errors, the CAN FD protocol
includes 5 different elements.
Data transmitted using CAN FD is in a different configuration than
standard CAN and therefore diagnostic tools need to be able to
read this new protocol. To complicate matters, diagnostic tools
must be able to determine if the data is in either standard or CAN
FD and interpret both protocols. Diagnostic tools manufacturers
spend considerable time & resources on keeping pace with new data
protocols. Higher quality scan tools will be able to communicate
with hundreds of vehicle brands from all over the world ranging from
model year 1996 and newer.
To ensure its tools keep pace with new diagnostic protocols,
THINKCAR employs over 300 engineers to develop new tool software
& communication devices. " Tool hardware such as screen size,
amount of memory & processor speed are all important aspects of a
tool's capacity, " Eric Wang, Technology Director notes. " However, the
software makes the difference between being able to communicate
with a vehicle or not, " says Wang. " We are currently working on
technology and software which will not be released for 6 to 12
months after extensive field
testing on hundreds of live vehicles. A
recent example of this is our new Platinum
S10TVCI which was specifically developed to support CAN
FD and is available via Cornwell Quality Tool dealers and Advance
Auto Parts. The tool was under development for 9 months plus
months of field testing to ensure the software and upgraded Vehicle
Communication Interface (VCI) unit would accurately and efficiently
communicate with a wide variety of vehicles. "
The VCI is equally important as the tool software as it provides the
physical connection between the diagnostic tablet & the vehicle using
the OBDII port. The VCI must be able to precisely interpret data from
various protocols and relay them back to the tablet.
As modules to accommodate electric powertrains and battery packs
are introduced the need for even faster protocols will continue to
grow. When selecting a new diagnostic scan tool, it's important to
select a model which can support new diagnostic protocols. n
THINKCAR
720 S Rochester Ave. Unit B
Ontario, California 91761
Office: 833-692-2766
THINKCARUS.COM
Circle 95 on card, or click " PTEN e-inquiry " on VehicleServicePros.com
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
http://www.THINKCARUS.COM http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
February_2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February_2022
