New industry standard for Electronic Braking Systems
The European Transport Board, a group of decision makers from the most significant European transportation and logistics companies, has published a new industry standard for data generated by trailer Electronic Braking Systems.
The Trailer CAN (TCAN) protocol specifies the data exchange between braking and auxiliary data collection systems, e.g. telematics, on towed vehicles with a mass greater than 3500 kg.
The initiative which was started by TIP Trailer Services, one of Europe’s leading equipment services providers, has resulted in an agreement on an industry standard by the three largest EBS manufacturers: Knorr-Bremse, Wabco and Haldex. This group of manufacturers has taken the lead in establishing interoperability across braking systems, which lays the foundation for a more connected world and will spur further innovation.
Matthew Fry, Engineering Manager – Trailer and Systems group, from Knorr-Bremse explained: “We are pleased to have played a leading role in developing the TCAN specification. We firmly believe that its introduction will improve the data collection and analysis capability on trailers, leading to greater efficiency and safety for both fleets and operators.”
WABCO’s Product Line Leader Mechatronics, Mark Cuyx, added: “We are proud to share the leadership of this innovative initiative as it significantly benefits fleet managers. By setting a new industry standard for such critical data, transport professionals can further increase vehicle safety and improve operational efficiency.”
Haldex’s Chief Engineer – Systems, Dudley Harrison, noted: that “Haldex is pleased to be involved with this initiative, which will reduce complexity and improve clarity for both fleets and their telematics providers.”
Peter Sijs, Services/Sourcing Operations Leader, from TIP Trailer Services states “It’s great to see the 3 major EBS manufacturers agreeing on an industry standard. With this in place we can read and analyze data independently of the ECU. This makes it possible to compare performance and equipment health between units or even entire fleets.”
The TCAN protocol is available for download from http://www.trailercan.org. The protocol will be implemented by the manufacturers during the next release of the applicable hardware and/or software.