noz
November 01, 2006 06:31 pm
Hi XMexc,
My knowledge isn't great and I certainly don't have any first hand experience but I'll share what I know.
From my previous investigations into this subject I came to the following conclusions:
The PSA (Peugeot/Citroen/et al conglomerate) implemented a comms bus called CAN (Controller Area Network) in their vehicles from quite an early date. At the same time GM/VAG and it looks like everyone else embarked on OBD (On Board Diagnostics) which was a comms system invented by Bosch. Europe, the Far East and the large US manufacturers implemented OBD but the PSA stuck with CAN (and laterly VAN(Vehicle Area Network)). Now that legislation has been passed even the PSA are forced to use OBD. All new cars sold in the US and the EU must have OBD implemented. I can't confirm for sure but the PSA may have dropped CAN/VAN all together. All of the cheap diagnostic adapters (OBD to USB) and related software on ebay is testimony to the universal nature and spread of the OBD implementation.
The XM was built with the use of discrete ECU's for some of the main systems (Engine Management, Auto Gearbox Management, Air Conditioning, ABS, Intruder Alarm, Pyrotechnic Seatbelts etc etc) These ecu's have their own bus cabling wired out to the multiplug under the steering column. By plugging in a Citroen computer (eg Lexia or Elit) the ecu's can be interrogated one at a time. The Elit/Lexia were able to switch from one set of pins to the other via a built in menu system. Each of the systems communicated with the Elit via a CAN protocol.
At various ages, specific models had a system fitted known by Citroen as multiplexing. My interpretation of this is that all of the previously discrete ecu's were connected on a common bus with addressing so that they could A) talk to each other and
talk to a host computer. As it happened, Citroen arranged all of the 'critical' ecu's (eg Engine, Brakes etc) on the CAN bus whereas the non-critical systems were put on a VAN bus. Controller nodes were added to act like hubs or switches in an ethernet system. This allowed all of the on-board ecu's to be interrogated via a single pair of cables.
Multiplexing is Citroen-speak for combining multiple ecu's on a single bus.
The radio RDS information repeated on the dash display gets there by means of a VAN bus between the radio and the display.
If I remember tonight I'll post a copy of the multiplexing wiring schematic once I get home.
Cheers
noz
ps
I appreciate I've used the terms bus and protocol interchangeability but that's only because I haven't a clue what I'm talking about