PTEN_0321 - 34

Vehicle Network Diagnostics:
Today and the future
Developing a big picture on network topology will provide a diagnostic
edge when troubleshooting communication issues.
By Scott Brown, Technical Editor

D

ata communications have
matured tremendously in
the 40 years they've been
around. Today, it's not uncommon to find vehicles fitted with
multiple networks using different communication standards.
For diagnosticians armed with
the right knowledge and tools,
most network communication
challenges can be resolved.
Most of us deal with networks
daily and rarely need to go to
the signal level. For the most
part, scan tools do all the
heavy lifting for us by bringing
us the data in a readable and
organized fashion.

34

PTEN

MARCH 2021

BASICS

Serial data in its simplest form can be
described as a party line where everyone connected can listen for important
information. There may be times where
a listener needs to talk, and this is where
a communication protocol comes in. A
single wire network is usually suited for
low speed, non-mission-critical data
such as a Local Interconnected Network (LIN). Using a LIN is an attractive
solution due to its overall low cost. So, if
the OEM can reliably provide communications and meet their objectives, LIN
will likely be used. For really important,
timely information, other network busses
that support higher speeds will be used.

www.VehicleServicePros.com

HIGH-SPEED CAN

Today's two-wire version is an evolution from the original designed by Bosch
back in the early 1980s. Today's form is
a result of years of industry collaboration by various workgroups. Soon, we'll
likely see new network protocols due to
the amount of data needed to support
new vehicle technology. Today's most
popular is high-speed CAN. It's designed
to carry balanced signals over a pair of
twisted wires connecting multiple modules. Binary data is broadcast across the
network. For both LIN and CAN, each
payload message within a CAN frame is
limited to a maximum of 8 bytes (64 bits).
(See figure 1) As vehicles and technology
continue to intersect, this presents



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PTEN_0321

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of PTEN_0321

Editor's Note
Featured New Products
Tool Briefing
Tool Reviews
Diagnostic Tech
Category Spotlight
Marketplace
Big-Time Boxes
PTEN_0321 - 1
PTEN_0321 - 2
PTEN_0321 - 3
PTEN_0321 - 4
PTEN_0321 - 5
PTEN_0321 - 6
PTEN_0321 - 7
PTEN_0321 - Editor's Note
PTEN_0321 - Featured New Products
PTEN_0321 - 10
PTEN_0321 - 11
PTEN_0321 - 12
PTEN_0321 - 13
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PTEN_0321 - 20
PTEN_0321 - RSC1
PTEN_0321 - RSC2
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PTEN_0321 - 22
PTEN_0321 - 23
PTEN_0321 - 24
PTEN_0321 - 25
PTEN_0321 - Tool Briefing
PTEN_0321 - 27
PTEN_0321 - 28
PTEN_0321 - 29
PTEN_0321 - Tool Reviews
PTEN_0321 - 31
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PTEN_0321 - Diagnostic Tech
PTEN_0321 - 35
PTEN_0321 - 36
PTEN_0321 - 37
PTEN_0321 - Category Spotlight
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PTEN_0321 - Marketplace
PTEN_0321 - Big-Time Boxes
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