ADVANCED VEHICLE TECHNOLOGIES, Inc.

AVT-715 Dual J1850 INTERFACE
(VPW and PWM)
RS-232/422 Unit Technical Summary

INTRODUCTION

The AVT-715 comes as a ready-to-use package consisting of a hardware interface unit (the HIU consists of the AVT-715 Interface board housed in an enclosure); the Controller software; a serial cable assembly; and an OBD-II compatible cable assembly. Connecting the AVT-715 HIU to a subject vehicle is quick and easy and no tools are required.

The AVT-715OEM module consists of the AVT-715 interface board only.

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has adopted a specification known as J1850 Class B Data Communications Network Interface. This specification describes two forms of a multiplex bus structure intended for use in a vehicle. The two forms of this multiplex bus are known as Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and Variable Pulse Width (VPW). The AVT-715 Hardware Interface Unit implements both versions of the J1850 standard. (Simultaneous operations are not permitted.)

Additionally, the HIU conforms to the Ford Motor Company Standard Corporate Protocol (SCP) which defines network traffic management, message construction, and other protocol issues. The AVT-715 is fully compatible with any similarly equipped Ford Motor Company or Mazda product.

The AVT-715 Dual J1850 Interface unit provides the following functions:

Hardware Connections

Connecting the AVT-715 HIU to the subject vehicle is accomplished via the OBD-II compatible cable assembly supplied with the HIU. (Note: this cable is not supplied with the OEM module.) The cable assembly has a DA-15S connector on one end and an OBD-II compatible connector on the other end. The AVT-715 HIU receives operating power, J1850 bus signals, and grounds from the subject vehicle through this cable assembly.

The AVT-715 HIU is connected to the control computer via the supplied 9 pin cable assembly. (Note: this cable is not supplied with the AVT-715 OEM module.) The supplied cable assembly is compatible with a PC-AT standard 9 pin RS-232 connection.

No other connections or installation is required.

Specifications and Requirements

Hardware Configuration

The AVT-715 HIU serial communications link to the control computer can be configured for either RS-232 or RS-422 operation . The data rate for the serial link can be configured for 9.6k, 19.2k, 38.4k, or 57.6k baud rate. These configuration selections are set by jumpers and connectors on the AVT-715 Interface Board. (Note: documentation by other manufacturers may make reference to 56k baud. This is usually the same as what we refer to as 57.6k baud; the actual baud rate.)

AVT-715 Controller Software

The AVT-715 Controller software is an MS-Windows 3.1x compatible program that provides the user with direct control and observation of the operation of the AVT-715 HIU as well as a data logging function, file download capability, and network monitor function.

Menus and Windows

The main menu bar selections are FILE, STATES, ADMINISTRATION, TOOLS, and HELP.

Selecting STATES | COMMAND opens the AVT-715 Command Dialog and Console window. In this window the operator can:

Selecting STATES | NETWORK MONITOR opens the AVT-715 Network Monitor window. From this window the operator can: The ADMINISTRATION | CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS window offers the operator the following selections: The ADMINISTRATION | COMMUNICATIONS PARAMETERS window offers the operator the following selection: The TOOLS | MESSAGES menu selection opens a window for the display of AVT-715 Controller status and error messages.

Hardware Interface Unit

The AVT-715 Hardware Interface Unit (HIU) consists of the AVT-715 Interface Board housed in a rugged polycarbonate enclosure with internal cable assemblies, switch, and external cable assemblies. The two connections to the HIU are to the subject vehicle and the control computer.

The HIU provides an isolated electrical interface between the control computer and the vehicle. The AVT-715 HIU is connected directly to the vehicle and derives its operating power from the vehicle. The serial interface to the control computer is electrically isolated from the vehicle electrical and electronic systems. This is done to prevent damage to the control computer due to spikes or surges from the vehicle electrical system. It is not recommended that the control computer be connected directly to the vehicle electrical system.

The AVT-715 hardware interface unit performs the data and protocol conversion functions. For the VPW mode of operation the HIU utilizes the Harris HIP7030A0 J1850 VPW microcontroller device along with the Harris HIP 7020 bus transceiver. For the PWM mode of operation the HIU utilizes the Motorola/Ford HBCC device and a Ford bus transceiver design.

The serial communications interface function of the HIU is provided by a Philips Serial Communications Controller (SCC) device. The RS-232 and RS-422 line drivers and receivers are contained in an electrically isolated section of the AVT-715 Interface board. Signals are coupled through optical isolators and power is supplied by an isolated DC-DC converter.

AVT-715 Operation

All communications between the HIU and the subject vehicle are in conformance with SAE Standard J1850 and all related standards and recommended practices. When in the PWM mode of operation, the HIU is compliant with the Ford SCP. All communications between the AVT-715 HIU and the control computer conform, at the physical interface, to either EIA-RS-232 or RS-422 standards (as selected by the user).

The structure and protocol of communications between the control computer and the HIU are such that all data is transferred in packets. The size of each data packet varies from 1 byte to 16 bytes (inclusive). The first byte in each data packet is the header byte and is used to convey information only between the control computer and the microcontroller in the HIU. All bytes within a packet are binary data.

The header byte is divided into the upper nibble and lower nibble. The upper nibble indicates what information the data packet is conveying. The lower nibble is the count of the number of bytes that follow the header byte. The meaning of the upper nibble of the header byte depends on which direction the data packet is moving; whether to or from the control computer. Messages from the control computer to the AVT-715 HIU are known as Commands. Message from the HIU to the control computer are known as Responses. The following are excerpts from the User’s Manual. Please consult the latest revision manual for up-to-date information.

Undisplayed Graphic

Figure 1 AVT-715 Hardware Interface Unit Block Diagram

Command Header Byte

This byte is prepended onto a packet transmitted by the control computer to the HIU.
Low nibble, bits b3 - b0: Byte count (how many bytes to follow); may be zero when the message is only a status or error message.
High nibble, bits b7 - b4 (undefined or reserved values are not listed):

Response Header Byte

This byte is prepended onto a packet transmitted by the HIU to the control computer.
Low nibble, bits b3 - b0: Byte count (how many bytes to follow); may be zero when the message is only a status or error message.
High nibble, bits b7 - b4 (undefined or reserved values are not listed):

Received Message Status Byte Definitions

The received message status byte always follows the header byte, even if the status byte is the result of transmitting a message.

Examples

Example #1: Want to request the current operational mode.

Command: D0.

Explanation: The HIU will respond with: 91 05. The ‘9’ indicates a board response, the ‘1’ indicates one byte follows, and the 05 indicates VPW mode.

Example #2: Want to send a message out on the bus.

Command: 04 32 89 AC 5F.

The HIU will respond with: 01 60. The ‘0’ indicates a received message and the ‘1’ indicates only one byte, which is the received message status byte. The ‘60’ indicates that bits 6 and 5 are set which means the received message was from this device and the transmission was successful. (Messages transmitted by the AVT-715 are received by the AVT-715, are checked, but are not echoed back to the controller. Only a status byte is passed to the controller to indicate the status of the transmitted message.)

Company Overview

Advanced Vehicle Technologies, Inc. is dedicated to providing affordable hardware, software, and technical support to the developers and users of vehicle based multiplex networks. We offer other vehicle multiplex bus products including the AVT-1850 A J1850 VPW Development System and the AVT-921 Dual J1850 Interface (an 8-bit ISA bus printed circuit board for installation in a host computer). Contact the factory for information on these products and our latest offerings.

The engineering staff at AVT, Inc. has combined experience on a number of multiplex bus standards including: J1850 VPW and PWM and ISO-9141 and 9141-2. Members of the staff are available to provide assistance on the use of any of AVT’s products.

AVT engineering staff members are available to provide dedicated engineering support for a customer project. Through a simple contractual arrangement, a customer is able to ‘tap’ into AVT’s knowledge and experience base.

Information on any of the products or engineering support that Advanced Vehicle Technologies can provide is available by calling, faxing, or writing.


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