agostec GmbH & Co.

KG
Haferstrasse 20
D-49324 Melle
Germany

Analysis
sotutions info@agostec.de
www.agostec.de

While CAN and LIN are two of

the key technologiesin the car
communications area,FlexRayrMis
becoming more and more popular.
Covering the user'scomplex technical
requirements and demands on flexible
so[twaretools is a big challenge. Those
solutions that are available are mostly too
expensiveand include a lot of overheads.
These overheadsoften give no beneflt to
the user and only causeheadacheswith
regard to the financial budget. Other tools
are simply not powerful enough - being
overextended,inflexible or run unstable.
T h e e n p i n e e rnse e da t o o l t h a t
is flexible, can be adjusted to their
requirements, makes it possible to
minimize overheadsand can be modified
to specific tasks. Xtm software has been
availablesincethe mid-I990s and was
already running as a DOS version before
the first Windows version was iaunched Figure andpanelelemenb.
1:CAN-send messages
Single canbesentstepbystepto debug
thesystem
in 200I. Xtm software(offeredby agostec)
contains a huge number of possibilities that CAN-connecteddecentralizedmeasurement switches for break and ignition as well as a
have often impressed seasonedengineers. sysLems. Caetechas developedsuch cluster for lateral accelerationand gear rute.
The software offers a universai and systems(the QIC-modules).which are The ECU'scommunication wires finish in
extremely powerful tool for applications offeredby agostec.The modules'setup an OBD connector where the CAN and
that use CAN-LIN bus communication. software includes automatic creation of K-Line are adapted to a notebook via a
The bus traffic can be displayed in raw a description file (DBC-format) that acts as CAN-interface. The CAN and diagnostic
format as well as in qrmbolic form. With an interface with the Xtm analyzing tool. traffic have to be realized with Xtm.
accessto a description file (in DBC or LDF In this combination, physical valuessuch as The first step in Xtm is to define a CAN-
format) representationof the signalsin voltage,temperature,current, frequencies, interface in the CAN-list. The user can
physical units is possible. The user is able strain gaugeand digital VOs can be choosethe systembit rate and associate
to combine standardmodules,such as visualized as raw data as well as physical the appropriate CAN-description file (DBC-
Tiace,Statistic,CAN-Send,CAN-Replay, valueswith the related SI units. Illustration Format) as well as a script file if needed.
Graphic,Panel-Editor,Tune and LlN. of thesesignalsas a bar graph, curve or To get rhe ECU running it is necessary
Funclionssuch as fi1tering,trigger,storage pointer instrument makes the application to simulate some of the car'sCAN-bus
organization, gateway,graphical evaluation, very flexibleand user-friendly.The user data (remaining bus simulation). In our
remaining bus simulation and control is able to specify diverse trigger functions example this functionality is implemented
functions are user-friendly and intuitive in to control, for example,the loggingoI by using the Xtm-module, CAN-Send.
use. Extensionssuch as FlexRayrM,CCP, the data.The integratedpowerful script The database(DBC-format) from the
xcB oDX,ASAP2, KWP2000, rSO15765 interpreterhandlesnecessaryonline CAN-list is loaded and includes all IDs
and specialtranspofi protocols,Flash calculation and value controls. The and signalswith related scaling. The user is
programming, ECU simulation and DLL connection of additional CAN-interfaces able to chooseone or more CAN messages,
implementation are available.The software's allows the inclusion of numerous CAN- selectthe signalsand send them separated
modular principle gives users the flexibility busesinto one syslem. or all together out to the CAN-bus. The
to decide which functions they need and The example of ECU communication sending procedure is started by pushing
which functions rhey will use and buy. gives an understanding of the possibilities the start button, pushing a key comblnation
The software can be used as a and flexibility of Xtm as a powerful too1. or by defining a start trigger. Ttransmission
measurementtool in combination with The test setup contains an ESP-ECU,some rate can be set up individually for each

AUMMt}TIVE TECHII()LOOY
TESTIIIO IilTERilATI(lI'IAT
II(lVEMBER
2OO6
 agostec GmbH & Co.KG
Haferstrasse 20
D-49324 Melle
Germany
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www.agostec.de

311 0001 6 rlol8.llaül! J 60

3:1 0 019 1 b7 51
3?1 0020 I 2?000r6101075{00 . d 62
321 0019 a 280?5t00076{0007( d , d 53
3?1 0.0rt 3 195t 00 d 6l engrneersare the diagnostic trouble codes
(DTC). As well as readingthe measurement
blocks, this functionalityis programmed
0.t?9 cN-lt tvuTt-4.9_ {o00trl0t
0.SlS CN-ltrV{Tt-l.O_ 1Ft6 rf 00 0r tt 01 0? c{ 0F F? (t 00 0? ßt 9p F? tt qp
into the script fl1e.Sometimesthe diagnostrc
1.00t CN-ÄrrVSTP-l.A- lt!ü 001 {000t110N
LOt{ CN-lr rWTF"t,9_ tt!i 16 00 0. ,1 0l t! 00 r? 2! 00 l? :! 00 6t A! 00 l? descriptionis not availableas programming
1,!:! CN-lr rV!TP-4.0- lt!6 !01 i0e0:tl0t
1.561 CN-lr TVITP-l.q_ lr! t lJ g0 0b ll 0t !r 00 00 E, t! dd !l !. rB codeas the engineers areworking with
2.0!4 CN-lr rV!?P-2.0_ r9!6 l0t {00024109
?,4?t CN-ltrVITP-a.A_ 1 9 !6 l0 00 0! a! 05 !l qo a9 :! 0! .3 Excelspreadsheets. ln thesecasesit
2.522 CN-lrrV{TP-4.0_ 19!6 601 i0901!.
:.!{l CN-lrrVITP"2,0_ tt96 tapot?r would be possibleto read the spreadsheets
a,0rt aN-lrrvutP-a,a_ t9l6 {000r}101
t.09{ CN-lr rVITP-1,0- r9!6 16 g9 o. 11 ql 9? 6t 0a ar 6{ o0 a? 6{ 0a q? E4 00 automaticallyand match the trouble codes
!,tAS CN-lr TVUTP-i.0_ l9!6 4000r110N
5, lll CN'trr rVUTP-t,0_ 19la 16 A0 0r 61 0t :s D0 it aF p0 8t 2i 00 t? t! 00 i? according to theselists. At the end the user
is able to display the information in normal
readabletext format.
One o[ the next most importantpartsis
the mechanicalinterface from the ESP-ECU
Figure2: TraceandPackage Tracewindows,Filtersettingsserveto makethedataeasierto visualize ro rhe car.which is represented by some
bypassvalves.It rs very important to know
message.Changingthe messagedata is a tachoillustrates the gearratesignals. if thesevalvesare working and are able
possiblewith a slider or by settingrated These graphical instruments are two of the to be activatedby the electronicsignals.
values. This also allows the sendlng of PaneiEditor'sstandardelements.Buttons, This test,calledan actuatortest,is also
singlemessages step-by-stepto debug the slider,diversLCD instruments,control and implemented in the script fi1eand run
CAN system(Figure l). statistic eiementsare also available. by presslnga button. The button is in
One of the most important modules is The assignmentsfrom theseelementsto the samepanel as thosefor actlvatingthe
the CAN-Tracewindow where the CAN- the physical values of the CAN-systemcan readingof measurementblocks.
traffic of the ECU and the srmulation is be done easily by choosing the signals from A look at the structureofthis appllcation
displayed. Thls window shows the CAN the descriptionfiles.This makesthe system shows that it offers an easyto handle and
channels.the messages with their timing flexible, and changesor adjustments can be efficient tool to engineerswhich fulfills the
(absolute time or time difference), the data *^i^.-^-.- ^..:^l-l--
rrrduq vsry qur!Kry. tact rPnrrirpmehf<

length code (DLC), the data itself (hex code
decimal) and a counter. With accessto the
descriptionsfiles, the namesof messages
and signalswill be illustrated.A marker
will be set automatically if a CAN message
is sentout.
Filter settrngsmakesthe visualization
clearer.The storageorganization will also
be done in the CAN-Tracewindow (Figure
2). The clusterdatacomesout of the ECU
as CAN-messages. With the Xtm Panel-
Editor it is very easyto view them. In this
casewe are using a compass-visualizing
displayng the lateral acceleratlonwhereas
Figure 3:Themeasurement blockspanelelenent
The possibilityof readingmeasurement Summarizingthis applicationgrves
blocks from the ECU requestedto a small insight into the possibilltiesof
communicatewith KWP2000 and a special creatingcomplex solutionswrth Xtm.
transportprotocol. To cover such demands Testing,controlling.measuring. analyzing.
the Xtm script interpreter vrewing- combinedwith interactrvepanels
is an excellenttool. It alreadyincludes and customizedsolutions- showsthat Xtm
the basicsof KPW2000 and the transport is a powerful developmenttoo1.
protocols,and can be freelyprogrammed. It is more and more important to
The requestsare sent to the ECU via carelullyexamineyour project costs
a script and the ECU sendsout the and daily expenses.Xtm'smodular
measurementblocks.A matrix, which is princlple and flexibillty makes it financially
set up in a panel elementshowsthe r.alues very attractive.The intention to allow
in a structuredway (Figure3). customizedadd-on's,combinedwith
With the normal Trace-Window the numerousstandardmodules,supports
userseesthe tralficwith its IDs,but in this this idea of cost-efficiency.I
window the data field is limited to eight
bytesaccordingto the CAN standards.
The data length of the measurementblock
values may be longer than eight bytes. To Contact AnsgarB Gosling
atAGOSTECGmbH&
Co,KG; Tel:+4954229239512;email:
view and analyzethe blocks'decodeddata
info@agostec,de; web:www,agostec.de
completely,Xtm has included a Package
TraceWindow.
Also of greatinterestfor the developing TickOnline ReaderEnouirv
Cardnumber
503

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