CAN-Bus technology enables wireless vehicle communication
September 2013
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Fleet owners in Africa can monitor a comprehensive range of vital component functions related to their vehicles using advanced CAN-Bus technology, available in the local market through asset management solutions provider, QCIC.
QCIC utilises telemetry solutions and services that meet the fleet management requirements of clients operating in the transport, earthmoving, consumer and security industries. Company director Brian McKenzie notes that CAN-Bus is a specialised internal communications network that enables microcontrollers and devices to communicate within a vehicle.
The QCIC CAN-CLIC is a propriety CAN-Bus solution built for the automotive industry to relay key critical information from a vehicle back to the end user utilising the CAN-BusJ1939/J1708 network protocol. “By fitting a CAN-Bus device with a communications platform to a vehicle, the fleet owner or manager will have access to information including wheel speed, trip and accumulative odometer, RPM levels, fuel consumption, tank levels and braking patterns.”
This instant access to vehicle information enables the user to pinpoint areas of concern before implementing the necessary corrective action. Excessive fuel consumption and careless driving can easily be identified and the driver can be warned to make the necessary adjustments in real time. What is more, drivers can receive additional training in areas of weakness should the need arise.
According to McKenzie, CAN-Bus works as a complementary add-on to QCIC’s flagship QIC-FLEET GSM fleet management solution, which enables fleet owners to manage numerous variables related to the location and performance of individual vehicles by transmitting relevant data on the GSM network. “Using information obtained from CAN-Bus, QIC-FLEET plots the data on a map with GPS positions, thereby identifying what caused an incident and the precise location where it occurred. Another advantage of the combination is its ability to warn of a potential accident through an in-cab buzzer, based on the set-up of the device installed in the vehicle.”
Should the driver fail to take the necessary action that was prompted, the system has a crash analysis feature which makes all recorded data twenty-one seconds before and six seconds after the incident available to the relevant manager. “These recordings provide valuable insight towards understanding the cause of the accident. It is also useful for insurance purposes, as the information is captured and recorded and eliminates the complexities related to hearsay from the various parties involved,” says McKenzie.
QCIC currently manages a call centre that monitors QIC-FLEET fitted vehicles on a 24/7 basis. A major safety advantage of this is that the operator can contact the driver should any alarms be ignored. “An increasing number of commercial transport vehicles begin their journey in South Africa, before reaching their final destinations across sub-Saharan Africa. As a result, fleet owners demand the peace of mind that the driver, vehicle and its load are safely crossing borders in an efficient and cost effective manner. By adopting the CAN-Bus and QIC-FLEET solution, they have full and uninterrupted access to their fleet on an around-the-clock basis,” concludes McKenzie.
For more information contact Brian McKenzie, QCIC, +27 (0)12 682 1621, [email protected], www.qcic.co.za
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