Local Interconnect Network Product Overview

LIN (Local Interconnect Network) is a cost-effective serial communication system, especially designed for connecting electronic components in vehicles. Therefore, LIN in mainly used in areas where the connection of simple sensor and actor devices is necessary, but the performance of CAN (Controller Area Network) is not required.

Typically, the LIN sub-systems (e.g. doors, seats, steering wheel) are connected with a supervisory CAN based network (body, chassis). Due to this, is possible to easily access the LIN systems by CAN based diagnosis and service. The usage of LIN reduces the large number of different low-end communication protocols, which results in a reduction of development, production and service costs.

Gateway

LIN2CAN - Powerful LIN to CAN Gateway

The LIN2CAN gateway is a universal device for the analysis of LIN networks via the CAN bus and for the emulation of LIN slave or master modules. Furthermore, this device can be used as LIN PC interface running a PC based configuration and monitoring software or for the PC based LIN device development.

Interface

USB-to-CAN II Automotive

The USB-to-CAN II Automotive is an active interface module with two CAN channels and one LIN channel which is connected to the PC via the USB port. For interfacing with the PC application the VCI driver can be used, which is included in the delivery contents.

The driver enables a time synchronous layer 2 analysis of CAN and LIN networks. At this, the LIN communication is supported on the USB-to-CAN II either in LIN master or in LIN slave mode. Using the LIN slave mode, the module answers autonomously to requests received.

The response data is updated using a buffer via the PC API. In LIN master mode, the master requests are processes by the PC application. Received LIN messages are presented to the application with time stamp, master request, response and status information.