NC1 Product Introduction

The NC1 is an electronic module that can be quickly configured to generate analog and/or frequency/pulse output signals that are proportional to many typical vehicle characteristics based on a single connection to the vehicle’s diagnostic connector. The NC1 provides pseudo sensor signals of vehicle characteristics from data acquired from a vehicle’s data bus (e.g., CAN, ISO-9141, Keyword 2000, J1850 VPW, J1850 PWM, SW-CAN, J1939, etc.).

The NC1 is also able to generate signals proportional to data internal to a vehicle’s electronic modules. Typically this type of data is not available for monitoring or recording at all except through very expensive equipment that is connected to the internal signals of a specially prepared version of a given electronic module. Through the vehicle data bus, the NC1 can obtain such data from any vehicle module accessible through the same vehicle data bus that is used for vehicle diagnostics.

Through the NC1, vehicle data contained in normally occurring messages used to the operation of the vehicle and/or available through diagnostic protocols can be monitored, converted, used to generate scaled analog and/or frequency/pulse, and/or displayed. Every NC1 output channel is completely and independently configured. Each data received and processed has two independent sets of scaling parameters, one to control the output signal and the other to format the data for real time display on a PC.

Once the output channels of an NC1 are configured through the use of supplied NC1Config software, connection to a PC is not required for NC1 operation. This software may also be used to for a real time display of scaled vehicle data. The NC1Config configuring and monitoring software runs on any PC that is using Windows XP, ME, NT 4.0, 98, or Windows 2000.

A 5 digit Ultrabright 7 segment LED display is available on the NC1 as a configurable output channel for the display of vehicle parameter.

The NC1Config’s operation is completely configurable through the use of NC1Config software and a configuration database. Through this software and database a user can quickly change the configuration of any and all output channels, monitor in real time the operation of each output channel, and/or create or edit members of the configuration database. Once configured, a NC1 operates autonomously, generating output signals without any need for a connection to a PC.

Some of the parameters of NC1 output channel configurations include the type of vehicle data bus to use, the type of output signal to generate, identifying information for the vehicle data bus message that contains data used to define the current value of the output signal, the definition of a message that may be needed to request the desired data, scaling information for translating the raw data received from the data bus into a proportional output channel signal, and separate scaling information for translating the data for display on a PC.

A predefined set of NC1 output channel configurations based on standard vehicle data legislatively required on all new vehicles is included to assist the user’s initial use of the NC1.

NC1 Operation

The NC1 generates analog and/or frequency/pulse output signals that are proportional to vehicle data the NC1 acquires from a vehicle’s data bus.

The NC1 uses a connection to the vehicle’s diagnostic connector to obtain access to the vehicle’s data bus and to obtain the power it needs to operate and to create the output signals. A serial connection to a PC is used when configuring the NC1’s output channels and/or to monitor the vehicle data being processed by the NC1.

Once its output channels and display are configured, the operation of the NC1 is automatic. Whenever the NC1 is connected to vehicle power, it loads the configuration information last saved in its non-volatile memory, and begins processing data and generating output signals. As the NC1 receives data from the data bus, it creates scaled analog or frequency/pulse output signals based on the received data. The NC1 Display displays selected data. Whenever the data associated with an output channel is unavailable, a channel specific default output signal value is generated.

Connecting the NC1 to the Vehicle’s Data Bus and Power

The NC1 receives its access to the vehicle’s data bus and power through a connection to the vehicle’s diagnostic connector. A Cubic Labs Vehicle Diagnostic cable is used to connect the NC1 to the vehicle’s standard Diagnostic Connector (i.e., SAE J1962). The other end of this cable is connected to the back of the NC1.

Note, to avoid possible problems, the Vehicle Diagnostic cable must be connected to the NC1 first and the vehicle’s diagnostic connector second.

Vehicle Diagnostic Connector

The SAE J1962 Vehicle Diagnostic Connector is required on all new vehicles sold in the USA after model year 1995 (for more information see SAE J1962 Diagnostic Connector). It may also be available on a few model year 94 and 95 vehicles sold in the USA. Tentatively, it will also be required on all new vehicles sold in the EC in calendar year 2000 and later.

Different vehicle manufacturers may give different names to the vehicle’s diagnostic connector. Some may call it the ALDL connector, the Class 2 connector, the SCP connector, the 16 way, the J1850 connector, the diagnostic connector, etc.

The vehicle’s diagnostic connector is typically mounted under the instrument panel on the driver’s side of the vehicle. In some vehicles it is located in or near a center console. In some vehicles it is mounted under the instrument panel on the passenger’s side of the vehicle.

NC1 LEDs

There are two LEDs on the center the NC1’s front panel, mounted vertically, one on top of the other.

The top LED is the power indicator. It will blink when the NC1 is properly powered.

The bottom LED is an error indicator. It will be on if any errors are detected while the NC1 is powered. If any output channel does not receive data within a channel specific timeout period (e.g., when the ignition is off), a channel specific default value will become the current output signal value and the bottom LED on the front of the NC1will be turned on.

In normal operation (i.e., ignition is on), the top LED should be blinking and the bottom LED should be off.

NC1 Output Connections

Several types of standard cables are available for providing output signals from the NC1.

NC1 Display

The NC1 Display is a 5-digit Ultrabright 7-segment display mounted on the front of the NC1Config. It can be used to display the same data being processed by one of the NC1Config’s output channels or some other vehicle data value.

The NC1 Display is configured the same way the other NC1 output channels are configured. In this case, instead of generating an output signal its output is the display. The range of displayed values is: –9999 to 0 to 99999. A configuration option for the NC1 Display is the ability to turn on a decimal point on the display. This option can help users to better recognize the data being displayed.

NC1Config Software and Database

NC1Config Software and Database Installation

The NC1Config CD ROM contains a copy of the NC1Config software and a copy of a starter NC1Config Database (i.e., NC1Config.mdb).

To install the NC1Config software and the NC1Config Database, use the following procedure.

Place CD ROM in your CD ROM or DVD drive.

Select Run from the Start Menu.

Browse to and run the file named “Setup.exe”.

Using the NC1Config Software With and Without the NC1

The NC1Config software can be used without a connection to an NC1 to review or modify the NC1Config Database.

In order to change the configuration of the output channels on an NC1, the NC1 software must be connected to an NC1 that at least has a connection to power.

To use the NC1 software to monitor active vehicle data, the NC1 software must be must be connected to an NC1 that is powered and connected to an active vehicle data bus (i.e., with the ignition turned on).

NC1Config Software Start Up

Start the NC1Config software program. NC1Config software will display the following Com Port Selection Screen the first time it is run:

After the COM Port has been successfully selected, the NC1Config software automatically displays the system connect buttons at the bottom of its opening screen (See next page).

The Channel List Window is shown above as seen when NC1Config software is connected with the NC1 hardware. Note: You do not need to be connected to the NC1Config hardware in order to view the NC1Config database.

The NC1Config Database

Select “Database” from the “View” menu:

The NC1Config software loads the database and displays the first database record.

Four tape recorder style icons may be used (shown from left to right respectively in the picture above) to select the first record, the previous record, the next record, or the last record of the NC1Config Database.

Description of NC1Config Database Record Fields

Each record of the NC1Config Database has 19 fields. The following briefly describes each of these fields. More details about these fields can be found in a later section of this document.

Record Name

Each record of the NC1Config Database has a Record Name field. Typically the contents of this field are used to identify something about the configuration (e.g., the name or type of data being processed, anything that may help identify a special version of a data value, etc. (e.g., RPM, MPH, etc.).

The configuration records in the database are presented in Record Name field order.

Comments

Like the Record Name field, the contents of the Comments field of a configuration are used to help the user understand something about the data being processed by a configuration. Generally, the Comments field shows the general signal to data conversion supported by the configuration (e.g., 0v = 0 psi, 5v = 100 psi , 0Hz = 0 6,000Hz = 6,000 RPM, etc.).

Like the Name field, when a Read Current Values option is selected, the Output Channel icons that are created will show the first part of the Comments field of the configuration that is being used by the channel.

Index, Length, and Storage Type

These fields specify where in a received message the desired data begins, the size of the data, and how the data is to be interpreted.

Filter

The Filter field specifies the information to be used to identify messages received by the NC1 from the vehicle’s data bus that contain the data that is to be processed an output channel.

Message

This field specifies a message that is to be sent by the NC1 on the vehicle’s data bus at the rate specified by Update Rate parameter.

Update Rate

If a message must be sent to the vehicle’s data bus in order to have a module send the message that will contain the data to be processed by a configuration, then this field will have a non-zero value that specifies the number of times per second that the request message will sent by the NC1 onto the vehicle’s data bus. If the Update Rate is 0, then no request message will be sent.

Timeout and Default Value

The Timeout field specifies the maximum time, in milliseconds, between messages received for an output channel. If this interval is exceeded without receiving a new message, the value of the Default Value field will be the output channel’s signal value.

Output Type

This field specifies the type of signal generated by the output channel. The values of the Output Type field and the output types they signify are 2= frequency/pulse output signal, 4= analog output signal, and 8 = NC1 Display.

Output Mode and Aux Value

These fields are used to specify which of the available options of the Output Type are to be used.

Output Scale and Output Offset

The contents of these fields are used to scale the received data for generating the output signal for the channel.

Display Scale and Display Offset

The contents of these fields are used to scale the received data for display in a Output Channel icon on a PC. The Output Channel icons are generated when the Read Current Settings option on the Device menu is selected.

Source Channel

This field specifies the type of the vehicle data bus (e.g., 1=J1850 PWM, and 3=J1850 VPW) that the NC1 is to monitor in order to obtain the data to be processed by this configuration.

Options

This field is reserved. Its value should be coded as 0.

Connecting the NC1Config Software to an NC1

In order to change the configuration of the output channels of an NC1, the NC1Config software must be connected to a powered NC1.

In order to also display the data being processed by the output channels, the NC1Config software must be connected to an NC1 that is in turn connected to a vehicle’s power and active (i.e., the ignition is on) data bus.

To connect the NC1Config software to an NC1:

1. Ensure the NC1 is connected to a power source. Typically this means the NC1 is connected to a vehicle’s diagnostic connector. A Cubic Labs cable is available to connect the NC1 to a vehicle’s diagnostic connector.

2. Ensure the NC1 is also connected to a serial port on a PC. A Cubic Labs cable is available to connect the NC1 to a PC serial port. One end of this cable must be connected to a connector on the front panel of the NC1. The other end must be connected to a serial port on the PC.

3. Start the NC1Config software if it hasn’t been started yet.

4. If this is the first time NC1 software has been run on your PC, you will be prompted to select which COM Port your NC1Config hardware is connected with. (see below). The Output Channel List for your NC1 will then be displayed.

Channel List

If the NC1Config software can communicate with the NC1, a list of Channels will be displayed on the PC’s screen. There will be one Channel row displayed for each configured output channel in the NC1Config, including the NC1Config Display. Each Channel row will show a channel number. In the example below, the Engine RPM is channel 1. The part of the contents of the Record Name field and the Comment field of the configuration loaded in each output channel will be displayed in the Output Channel row. The Channel Value shows the data being processed in real time by the channel and scaled by the Display Scale and Display Offset values of the configurations loaded in the output channel.

Each Channel row displays: the Record Name field, the Comment field of the record in the NC1Config Database that was used to configure the output channel, The Channel Type and the current Channel Value being received by the indicated channel as scaled by the values in the Display Scale and Display Offset fields. The Graph button will display a scrolling graph of the Channel Value over time. The Clear button reinitializes the entire selected Channel row to “nothing”.

NC1 Output Channel Configurations

Each NC1 output channel has two output channel configurations or settings, the saved configuration and the current configuration. An NC1 output channel processes data from the vehicle data bus based upon the information in the output channel’s current configuration.

Saved configuration data is stored in the NC1’s non-volatile memory. Current configuration data is stored in volatile memory. The current configuration is loaded from the saved configuration when the NC1 is powered up or when the Restore Previously Saved Settings option on the Device menu is selected.

Automatic Reloading of the Current Configuration from the Saved Configuration at Power-On

The current configuration of all output channels is reloaded from their respective saved configurations when the NC1 is powered up.

Changing the Current Configuration of an Output Channel

To change an Output Channel configuration, or to view Output Channel parameters in detail, select a Channel by clicking on the Channel row in the Channel List window.

The following Select Network form will appear:

Next, choose the network type you would like to use for the selected channel.

The following Output Channel form will appear:

You may now select any of the displayed Output Channel data fields and make changes by highlighting the appropriate text and typing in your changes. When a new configuration is sent to the output channel by using the Modify Output button in an Output Channel form, an attempt is made for the currently displayed NC1Config data to become the new current configuration for the selected output channel. When a configuration is downloaded, a check is made by the NC1 between the values of the fields of the configuration being downloaded and the characteristics of the output channel the configuration is being downloaded to. If the NC1 finds any conflicts, the entire bogus data will be rejected and an error message to that effect displayed by the NC1Config software.

If you wish to make additional changes directly to the Output Channel you have selected, click on the Advanced… button to display the following form:

All of the currently selected Output Channel data items are displayed and may be edited by the user using the same procedure described previously. When you are finished, click on the “Modify Output” button to load your changes into the NC1 hardware. You may click on the “Close Window” button at any time to return to the main software screen.

Configuring an Output Channel Using the Database

You may also configure an NC1 Output Channel using the supplied NC1Config database. The NC1Config database includes all 32 Legislated PID records for each vehicle network that are supported in hardware. The supplied NC1Config database is in Microsoft Access format, and my be added to or edited using the NC1Config software itself.

To change the value of an output channel using the NC1Config software, click on the Channel row to load the Setup window and click on the Drop Box under the “Database Record List” label:

You may scroll down and select any listed NC1Config database record.

After you have selected the database record you are interested in, click on the “Load Output From Database” button.

Creating a Database Record from Output Channel Data

It is often useful to create new Database records from existing Output Channel data. This is most commonly performed to “Clone” multiple NC1 hardware interface devices. A user would typically set up an NC1 hardware configuration, Save all of the Output Channel configurations as database records using the “Save Output to Database” button, and then set up additional NC1 hardware using the “Load Output From Database” function.

Saving NC1 Configurations

Even if the NC1 accepts the downloaded configuration, the configuration does not automatically become the saved configuration for the output channel (i.e., it not also put into the output channel’s non-volatile memory). Therefore, if the NC1 had lost and recovered power at this point, the last saved configuration in the output channel’s non-volatile memory would become the current configuration.

To save your current Output Channel configuration, click the “Device” “Save Current Settings” menu item.

Levels for Frequency/Pulse Output Signals

The minimum level for a frequency/pulse signal (i.e., the frequency low value) is 0 VDC.

The maximum level for a frequency/pulse signal (i.e., the digital high value) can be:

· 5 VDC supplied from the NC1’s internal power supply,

· The level of the NC1’s power input, typically a vehicle’s positive battery voltage level, or

· A signal level supplied an external source.

The voltage level of the digital high signal generated by the NC1 is determined by the wiring of one of the output cables plugged into the NC1.

The mating connector on the NC1 includes separate output connector pins that provide access to the NC1’s 5 VDC internal power supply and to the NC1’s power input. This connector also includes an input pin that supplies to all the frequency output channels in an NC1 their digital high signal level. The selection of the level of the digital high output signal is determine

CubicLabs Vehicle Test, Measurement, and Telematics Equipment

Connecting the NC1 to the Vehicle’s Data Bus and Power

NC1 LEDs

Channel List