Why the Fluid Power Industry Needs to Look Beyond CANbus
Networks and communication protocols are terms used for how electronic devices on a mobile machine “talk” to one another. Per the NFPA white paper, they can be wired or wireless and communicate using various protocols (i.e., rules allowing devices to transmit information) based on application requirements.
There are currently several types of networks and protocols used in mobile equipment applications, but the ones primarily utilized are the CAN network and SAE J1939 protocol. Use of CAN-J1939, as it is referred to, became widespread due to its adoption by diesel engine manufacturers for their electronic control units (ECU) in the late 1980s.
As the ECU was the primary electronic component in most vehicles for many years, OEMs chose to adopt CAN-J1939 for other components, including hydraulics and pneumatics, as well to have a cohesive in-vehicle communication system. This helped to reduce wiring and development costs.
Read “A Guide to Basic Components in Modern Fluid Power Systems” to learn more about the role CANbus plays in current fluid power systems.
However, as technologies have evolved so too have the networks and protocols available to the mobile market. The automotive industry, which first developed the CANbus networks now common in so many vehicles and machines, has moved on to use of faster and less expensive options according to the NFPA white paper. Technology and trends in this industry usually find their way into the mobile equipment space as well.
Mike Terzo, CEO and Founder of Xirro — a developer of hybrid and electric vehicle power systems — said during the IEOC panel discussion that industry conversations about moving past J1939 are due to what is flowing over from the automotive sector, a lot of which is around electrification. Digitization is also a factor, but he said most of the new protocols now coming into play have primarily been driven by increased development of electric vehicles.
He noted that automation can be lumped in with this too, and that really all of it has to do with the digital technologies which are moving onto vehicles. This is bringing many pain points for manufacturers in regard to determining how best to integrate the technologies while also reducing the cost of protocols and ensuring fast enough bandwidths for the solutions coming into the market.
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