through (you guessed it) data. Tis data can be turned into information that can lead to better field decisions, maintenance planning, resource planning and others for a more efficient construction business.
How does CAN bus work? Before we dig in further, it’s important to understand how CAN bus works. At its most basic level, CAN bus can be used for sending messages to the various modules in the vehicle or piece of equipment, reading data back from those modules and facilitating common operations, such as unlocking doors and displaying speed on the speedometer to advising that a power take off (PTO) feature may be engaged and carrying out work. CAN-based On-Board Diagnostics
(OBD-II) is used in cars and light duty trucks, whereas a different protocol called SAE J1939, JBUS, that also requires the CAN protocol as a communications mechanism, can be found in medium and heavy-duty vehicles and equipment, such as heavy trucks, cranes, bulldozers, exca- vators, backhoes, skid steers and many other types of construction equipment. While you may not be familiar with
CAN bus, you have likely used your OBD or JBUS port, even if you’re not currently using GPS trackers in your fleet. Tese ports, or Diagnostic Link Connectors (DLCs), are mandated to be present in many vehicles and are also used to obtain diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) when your check engine light is activated, as well as other electronic data available from the ECUs. Tis is also true for any heavy equipment with an engine year of 2014 and newer, where fault codes can be obtained from the DLC. In the case of an OBD system, the stan-
dard defines Parameter Identifiers (PIDs) for various pieces of sensed data. For exam- ple, PID 13 supplies the vehicle’s “wheel- based speed” as a single byte representing
0 kph to 255 kph. Tis value is what appears on the speedometer and may also be used by asset trackers for other purposes, such as deducing driving events by calculating the acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle from speed changes over time.
What data can you get from CAN bus? A common misconception is that con- tractors can access all this data over CAN bus through their DLC. OEMs often have access to a larger set of parameters that can be monitored using CAN bus; as the OEMs do not openly share, nor are they required to, all data available from a ve- hicle or piece of heavy equipment’s set ECUs. OEMs can track and report many parameters with the use of their propri- etary systems and applications, but the OEMs can withhold much of this data as proprietary information and don’t expose it outside of their for-pay OEM solutions. Te good news is that contractors can access OEM-sanctioned data by leveraging third-party trackers. It’s important to note, however, that the data accessed is limited to data that is allowed by OEMs to be readable by a tracker. Te type and amount of data available is also often highly dependent on make/year/model characteristics. So, what information can CAN bus typi-
cally provide? A non-OEM CAN tracker can only provide data allowed to be provided to it (by the OEM), and these may include RPM, speed, engine hours, coolant and engine oil temperatures, fuel flow rate and more. Since CAN bus can provide such a
wide range of data points, equipment and fleet managers can focus on parameters relevant to their operations. For example, California contractors may be interested in metrics such as idle time to help not only combat wasted resources but also to meet known environmental challenges with air regulations. Tis flexibility allows for the development of more specialized and targeted tracking solutions.
Other potential use cases may include fuel consumption monitoring, battery level monitoring, fault code tracking, DEF levels, PTO usage and others. Tese metrics enable construction equipment managers to make better decisions about rentals, replacements, preventative main- tenance, resource management and more. CAN bus also provides a high level
of granularity and data resolution, as defined by the OBD-II or J1939 standards, with access to individual sensor data and system parameters. Tis can help piece together a better understanding of the asset’s behavior. This level of detail is particularly valuable for equipment and fleet managers who require accurate and specific data to optimize operations and identify potential issues.
Leverage CAN bus data for your fleet and heavy equipment If this all still sounds complicated, here’s the good news: CAN bus is made simpler thanks to the tracker used to extract data from the DLC and the system used to understand this data and turn it into useful and actionable information. Tis matters because CAN bus facilitates im- proved scalability, which is useful where multiple assets need to be monitored simultaneously by equipment managers. CAN bus offers access to a wide range
of data, which allows for a detailed anal- ysis of equipment performance, fuel consumption, asset usage, and other relevant metrics. Simply put, CAN bus data, and the information derived from it, is a game-changer for construction companies trying to achieve greater pro- ductivity, efficiency and business growth.
Interested in learning more about CAN bus? Tenna’s team can help you choose the right combination for your operations. Reach out to Elizabeth Torrez at etorrez@
tenna.com or 310-357-6073.
CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024
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