On Monday 16 December 2024 10:05:14 am SheldonD via groups.io wrote:
I am NOT opposed to CAN, LIN, single ended or differential serial, etc. It's just a progression of technology.
Yeah, and it keeps on progressing, at an ever-accelerating pace...
Did you know there are CAN lightbulbs?
No, I didn't know that.
Yup. No switches. Switching element is in emitter itself. Sounds like a lot of overkill.
Yeah it does.
But is it? Common database to headlights. Turn lights on, turn lights off. Functions that seem to be easier with a switch or relay. Bulb can report when emitter is burned out. That requires sense leads between bulb circuit and an ecu somewhere, either detecting voltage drop, current flow, or passing a sense current. At least 1 more wire needed. 3 wires needed now.
And a lot of the way things are going seems to involve getting rid of as many wires as possible. Because we can do digital stuff! :-) I did a pretty good job of burning out the wiring harness in a 1970 Dodge Dart, and boy was that fun to deal with. We got a mostly good harness from a junkyard (try finding that these days for something of that vintage) and then had to unwrap several miles of electrical tape from both of them and combine them to make one good harness. Both under the hood and under the dash.
I foresee bulbs being able to report degradation, color temperature, brightness (computed) functionality if not already there.
Then there's the degradation of that stupid choice of plastic that they're using for headlight assemblies these days. I've already had to deal with that more than once.
But, back to basics. For Headlights, 2 switches needed (on/off local, on/off high, perhaps with interlock). Parking / Marker lights. Another switch. Turn signals need a switch. Brake lights need a switch, as do dome lights, fog lights, bed / trunk lights.
8 switches, and associated wiring, to provide basic lighting control. Or 1 database.
Data bus?
What I found most irritating, at least on my Yukon, is inability to interact with databus. GM has held their secrets closely compared to Ford. You can't interface with GM without a Tech2 at a minimum. Ford needs a HSCAN / MSCAN adapter and 3rd party software (Forscan). Both inexpensive. Mopar provides upfitter CAN interface in several of their vehicles that is available direct or buffered. Hmm, maybe that would be Mercedes as I am referring to Sprinter vans made / badged by Mercedes, Dodge, and Freightliner. And better, their requirements to interface, what shouldn't be touched, etc are published.
Got a link for that handy? Or suggest a search term.
Did you know there are CAN switches?
Nope, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
Yup. Press a switch, and datastream is generated addressing intended device or sending command / request to centralized controller. Similar with relays.
Member of my extended family had an old Mercedes sedan. 5 cylinder diesel.
I remember encountering a similar engine, might've been in a VW, and it was a real pig to start. Needed a pretty good-sized battery, that one did.
Windows, door locks were not digital. They weren't even electric, but still powered. How? Vacuum. Vacuum operated door locks and windows. Very thankful not to have to maintain THAT.
Right. I knew a guy who specialiized in "foreign" stuff, and once in a while I'd drop by his garage and he'd show me some of the really odd ways that some makers had of doing things. Like vacuum-operated popup headlights in something or other, for one example.
If tools were more common to layperson (being PC there ;) ), I think there would be a much difference attitude towards CAN technology and derivatives as well as predecessors.
Yeah, the proprietary and closed-off attitude by some mfrs. gets a little old...
Perhaps I am unique. I have the idea that if I own something, I should have complete control over it.
Agreed!
My phones are rooted.
Oh? Tell me more, as I'd like to pursue that at some point.
I use Linux (not very well).
I've run nothing but since 1999. I started out with Slackware, which I'm currently running on my server and in this virtual machine to do my emailing with. The host system is Debian, just because of handling dependency stuff. My lady had a hard drive fail some time back and when I stuck a new one in her machine I handed her an Ubuntu disk and suggested she try that out. That got installed and went fine for a good long time. Hardware was replaced, and not optimal, and not all that long ago a machine showed up that met her requirements as to size etc. and it came with Linux Mint installed, and she's now happy with that. We've been a microshit-free zone for years now.
My F150 had several features added, others turned off because I desired.
Telll me more?
Heck, I am learning about IoT zigbee and other home mesh networks in relation to doir locks, cameras, lighting control. Starting to lesve behind X10 ( heavily invested).
Never got into that stuff yet, but have studied it some. Some people way too overcomplicate it. I'd like to get some cameras here, and I have this nice 24-port router that'll do POE to run them into, I just have to find some that are reasonably priced. What I'm running into is stoopid stuff that uses wifi, but if I've gotta run a wire anyway for power, I might as well run an ethernet cable and deal with things that way...
Bought Yukon because can do same thing albeit with Tech2. Except that mine was 3 months too new, and Tech2 is very limited. Now would have to pay $49/3 days subscription.
What's that Tech2 stuff?
Didn't know about CAN requirement. Makes sense as vehicles now have Blackbox ability and cameras for traffic interaction.
It's crazy the amount of stuff they're cramming in there...
Time marches on.
Indeed. And trying to keep up gets to be more and more fun the older we get, too. :-)
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, ?a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. ?--Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
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Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin
