TECHTALK

MULTIPLEX/CAN DATABUS SYSTEMS - PART 2

Part one of this series (July/Aug issue) looked at the basic
elements of multiplex systems, but now it is time to embrace
the fuller concept. We need to advance our understanding
to a point where we are able to carry out effective diagnosis
of these systems.
Although similar in concept to previous vehicle electrical
systems, CAN has significant operational differences. Firstly, we
need to understand the actual make up of data transfer signals.
The signals themselves are binary, in other words either a “0” or a
“1” (digital) and the way these zeros and ones are produced is by
switching a voltage on a wire. The wire that links all of the ECUs
(sometimes referred to as nodes) is known as a “databus”.

In this illustration we can see the constituent components of a frame.

Priorities. It is paramount that a system of priorities exists for the

Signals on the databus are interpreted by a part of the ECU that
senses the voltage changes. The example above uses a voltmeter
used to illustrate this.
The signals are made up of two differing voltage states - low
voltage is represented by a “1” and high voltage by a “0”.
transfer of data because the databus is only one or two wires
(depending upon the system), and if more than one node was to
transmit data simultaneously the data would become corrupt and
unusable. Therefore the node sending the most important data is
given the highest priority, e.g. skid control would have a higher priority
than say climate control changes.
The nodes will only try to send a message during periods when
the line is silent. ECUs look for these periods to prevent a clash of
signals when more than one ECU wants to transmit data
simultaneously. Message priority is signified by the number of zeros
(known as “Dominant” bits) at the beginning of the frame and the
node with a high priority message sends more dominant bits at the
beginning of its message than a lower priority signal. A dominant bit
is a high voltage or high voltage difference between two voltages.
If a message starts with a lot of dominant zeros the voltage will
be high for longer than in a less important message (less zeros). The
ECU that outputs a high voltage signal for the longest, gains priority
on the network and will continue the transmission of its message. The
lower priority message transmission will be postponed until the bus
goes silent again.

This illustration is a representation of the signal

Messages are used to tell a component to turn on or off, stay

on or off, change position, speed etc.
The actual messages are constructed into “frames” containing
eight separate parts. These parts can be further divided up into bits.
A bit is a change in voltage from one state to another, i.e. low to high The diagram above is to show the three states of node communication.
(“1” to “0”) or high to low (“0” to “1”). The frame length varies and The dormant state is when no communication is occurring. The transmitting
may contain three to four hundred bits. state is when the node is applying voltage to the databus. The receiving
state is when another node is applying voltage to the databus.

36 SEPTEMBER 05 MOTOR INDUSTRY MAGAZINE WWW.MOTOR.ORG.UK

 Now we have looked at the way data signals are produced it is
time to look at some specific examples of multiplexing.
BEAN – Body Electrical Area Network (Japanese versions)
The oscilloscope pattern shown below is from a BEAN
network.
The voltage here is zero volts for the recessive “1”
and around ten for the dominant “0”
The above diagram is a typical BEAN network layout having four door
nodes, two seat nodes, and a node for the steering column. This is a
ring type network where the databus loops through each node.
CAN – Controller Area Network – (European system)
LOW SPEED CAN
The CAN DATABUS differs from BEAN in that it has different speeds
12V wake up signal
4V communication
signal
The oscilloscope pattern shown above is from a LS CAN network
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for different applications. Low Speed CAN (LSCAN) is in many ways
similar to BEAN in that it uses a single wire databus, that is usually bi-
directional, but the voltage is lower, operating between 0 and 4 volts.
As with BEAN it normally takes the form of a ring that has nodes
connected. Another difference is that LSCAN operates when the
ignition is off. During extended periods of inactivity the nodes go into
a “sleep” mode and require a “wake-up” signal.
HIGH AND MEDIUM SPEED CAN
The more commonly used Medium and High Speed CAN utilise two
wires for data transfer - CAN HIGH (voltage) and CAN LOW (voltage).
As can be seen from the oscilloscope pattern shown, the HS CAN
wires have a base voltage applied to them of 2.5 volts. Whilst the
signal voltage is at 2.5 volts the “1” part of the signal is being
generated, the “0” part is a 1 volt increase in the case of CAN HIGH
and a 1 volt decrease in the case of CAN LOW.
CAN DATABUS DATA SIGNAL
MSCAN & HSCAN use two wires twisted together in what is
called a twisted pair which provides resistance to electrical
interference. The wiring may also be shielded or screened and the
data signals are mirrored to provide optimum protection against
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interference (electrical noise).
MOTOR INDUSTRY MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 05 37
 TECHTALK
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If an induced electrical spike occurred in the twisted pairs, the
spike would have an equal and opposite effect on each wire so the
signal would not be corrupted. This is because the voltage differential
between the two wires would remain consistent to each other.
A typical high speed CAN system network
UART
UART multiplex is a system that forms a dedicated link between skid-
control and engine control nodes. UART has now largely been replaced
by HS CAN but it is still worth looking at the oscilloscope trace and a
typical system layout as vehicles fitted with this system are very much
still in use. A close inspection of this system reveals that although
similar, the patterns are not mirrored as in CAN and the databus wiring
has differing base voltages, data is transmitted at up to 9.6 Kbps
A UART multiplex layout
38 SEPTEMBER 05 MOTOR INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
AVC-LAN Audio Visual Controller Local Area Network
AVC-LAN is a system that, as the name suggests, is based around the
audio and visual systems fitted to some of today’s high specification
vehicles. The system is often controlled by a touch screen system for
convenience, giving access to features such as audio, trip computer,
climate control and G.P.S. navigation. As you can see the data is
communicated along a two wire databus having base voltages of 2.5.
The actual data is transferred at a rate of 17Kbps and the signals
themselves are comprised of voltage fluctuations of around “0.3”
volts.
An AVC-LAN multiplex layout
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.
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