Case study: Intelligent data logger for electric trucks

In this case study TKE has used a combination of the Kvaser Memorator Pro 2xHS v2 and the CANtrace CAN analyzer to help a customer realize collection and logging of diagnostics data from a prototype electrical truck. This case was made in cooperation with Elways AB in Solna, Sweden.

Elways AB is developing system for charging the batteries of an electrical truck while driving. Charging is done using an electrical rail embedded in the road. TKE has also previously helped the customer during development of the collector arm that connects to the rail and provides the power for charging the truck’s batteries.

Although during project developed intelligent data logger for electric trucks and the customer realized they needed more data about the charging process, including measuring electrical current in several locations and also more data from the charging controller.

Kvaser Memorator Logging and analyzing CAN data from field tests

In practice TKE provided a Kvaser Memorator Pro 2xHS v2 intelligent data logger to log data during field tests on the road. Data logger stores the data from the diagnostics bus and is programmed to start and stop logging automatically depending on trigger conditions in the diagnostics data. This ensures only data from the actual tests are included, which prevents wasting storage space and speeds up the post processing as only essential data needs to be processed.

Back at the office logged data can be analyzed and replayed using the TKE CANtrace CAN analyzer. Furthermore the collected data can also be converted into many common formats and imported into desktop spreadsheet applications for making reports and calculations.

Results

As a conclusion TKE helped Elways AB by making software that collects the needed data from both CANopen and J1939 busses with the help of CAN bus diagnostics. As a result collected data was able to convert into a format that is suitable for logging and sends it out on a CAN bus dedicated for diagnostics.