Vehicle Connectivity

Modern vehicles have various electronic control units (ECU) such as the engine control unit, transmission, airbags, antilock braking and many more. These systems communicate using the Controller Area Network bus (CANbus), much like a modern computer network.

To improve vehicle fleet performance; Trakm8 have developed advanced technology to connect into the CANbus system using the vast amount of data available.  By monitoring driver behaviour, gear usage, acceleration, harsh braking, fuel usage, CO₂ emissions  and vehicle fault codes, the Trakm8 T8 CAN enabled solution is able to reduce overall costs of running vehicle fleets and also improve driver safety.

Fuel theft is also a problem with some fleets, and CAN-bus monitoring of the fuel volume before and after a journey can help to deter unauthorized losses.

Trakm8 have the technology to obtain precise engine and emission data by connecting to the vehicle CANbus.  This can enable a wide range of information to be monitored.

CANbus connectivity can also enable reporting of engine fault codes.  This information would warn fleet maintenance managers well in advance that a particular type of fault may be about to arise.  This knowledge could help prevent breakdowns or potential vehicle shortages that can ultimately impact profitability by a failure to meet customer fulfilment and delivery requirements.   When current faults are reported, fleet maintenance managers assess the fault criticality and where appropriate, order the relevant spare parts before the vehicle is even returned to base.

It should be noted that diagnostic system capabilities are dependent upon expert analysis and availability of all the potential data elements which are not always present across all vehicle makes. Trakm8 applications engineers should carry out a range of checks to determine the suitability of CANbus technology for the fleet.