Electromobility: Communication
solutions for production and test benches

Embedded platforms
FRC-EP and CANnector
ACT engineering software

CONTENTS
SUMMARY2

AUTOMOTIVE TEST SYSTEMS

4

END-OF-LINE TESTS6DATA LOGGING INTEST VEHICLES

8FRC-EP 170/190

10

CANnector

12

ADVANCEDCONFIGURATION TOOL

14

PRODUCT SUMMARY18

The combination of increasing drivetrainelectrification and the steadily growing
flood of communication data in vehicles
poses a challenge, and we are pleased
to help companies with our expertise.

MARKUS DEMARIA

Product Manager BU Ixxat – IndustrialCom
Page 2

FLEXIBLE COMMUNICATIONSOLUTIONS FOR PRODUCTION,TEST BENCHES, AND TEST VEHICLESThe amount of software in modern electric vehicles is
growing steadily, leading to an increase in data andcommunication solutions. More and more often, OEMsand their suppliers are confronted with the need to integrate different in-vehicle networks in test and production
equipment. From basic control units to battery manage-

E-MOBILITY
INCREASES NEED FOR
END-OF-LINE TESTSThe transition to electromobility is leading to sweepingchanges in end-of-line testing.
New components make it necessary to adapt the test
infrastructure to include battery-specific tests, significantly increasing both the scope of and the general need fortesting during production.

ment systems, from complex motor control systems tovehicle bus systems connected with factory networks,
huge amounts of data need to be transferred, read, andinterpreted. Both vehicle communication and factory automation protocols are needed for these purposes. HMS canconnect the two worlds with a central platform.

FLEXIBLETESTBEDCOMMUNICATION

There is little in the way of global standardization of thecommunication between test vehicles and test control
stations or for special applications like residual bus simulation; different protocols and technologies call for flexible
approaches. HMS solutions are designed for domain architectures and are already prepared for the zonal architectures of the next generation of electric vehicles.

TOP-NOTCH QUALITYASSURANCE

Thanks to its years of experience in the automotive industry, HMS can help carmakers and suppliers with smart
hardware and software solutions for communication in
test vehicles. The combination of smart networking for
all common in-vehicle communication standards withextensive logging and display functionality makes for a
perfect connection between vehicle, message catalog, andanalyzing test system.

Page 3

BETWEEN VEHICLES AND CONTROL STATIONS:AUTOMOTIVE TEST SYSTEMS

From connecting with in-vehicle networks, communicatingwith the control station, to simulating individual components, testbed applications need to support a varietyof communication standards from the automotive andindustrial worlds. Smart gateways from HMS connect bothworlds to ensure reliable, high-performance data transfer.

Communication in vehicles

Testbed connection

IN-VEHICLE NETWORKSCOMMUNICATION WITH TESTAUTOMATION SYSTEMS

Networking for electronically controlled vehicle components takes place using a mix of new and establisheddata communication standards. Gateways are needed toprovide test systems with access to this closed system’s
data and signals.
The gateways support the various standards and translate
and interpret the data. Access via gateways is possible inboth function-based and zonal architectures with an Ethernet backbone. Within the individual zones, the gateway
provides access to all of the sub-buses in use, aggregating
their data and signals for the test system.

Communication with test automation systems is very
different from in-vehicle communication since in this case
it is mostly control data that needs to be transferred overgreater distances (20 to 50 m) between the vehicle andthe control station. The EtherCAT protocol is often used as
an interface to the testbed automation system for transferring measurement data. The generic Ethernet protocol
developed by HMS provides additional flexibility and diagnostic functionality, making it the ideal interface between
in-vehicle networks and testbed automation systems.

Data logging

TEST
SYSTEM

DBC, ARXML,
Fibex, LDF

ETHERNET

CANnector
Gateway

LAN USB-A

Immobilizer

CAN diagnosis

Motor CAN

Comfort CAN

USB-B

SD card

FRC-EP 190

6-36 VDC REMOTE

FlexRay

Inverter

Climate control

ChassisE-motor

Door controller

Front radar

ESP

Seat adjustment

Power steering

Secure access to the various in-vehicle networks
for data transfer and logging.

Page 4

Test bench connection over greater distanceswith Ethernet or EtherCATTEST
SYSTEM

Simulation

RESIDUAL BUS SIMULATION (RBS)

CANnector
or
FRC-EPCAN repeater

ETHERNETCANbridge
orRepeater

Residual bus simulation is used to generate signals andmessages from control units that are not yet physicallyconnected to the system. For example, it can be used totest new or independently operating components that
depend on signals from neighboring components. Not
only can smart gateways connect different protocols andsystems, they can also perform an RBS based on functionalmodels by using control data from the testbed automation
system.
Galvanic isolation

PROTECTING TEST SYSTEMSFROM OVERVOLTAGE AND EMDISTURBANCESTESTSYSTEM

CANnector

Simulating a system environment toenable testing of a DUT.

LAN USB-A

6-36 VDC REMOTE

USB-B

SD card

FRC-EP 190

Data communication in end-of-line test benches
often takes place in high-voltage environments.
Access to the data needs to be simple andreliable even with voltages between 400 V and1200 V affecting the communication lines. Thesehigh voltages can have a direct impact on the test
system and damage it or neighboring components if there are malfunctions or defects.
Along with a grounding scheme with a central
ground point, galvanic isolation of the CAN
communication interface can effectively prevent
damage. If galvanic isolation is not already built
into a test system, it can be implemented laterwith galvanically isolated gateways or by using
repeaters.
Inexpensive protective components like repeaters or gateways can be used to protect valuablesystem components from damage.

FRC-EP 190

Simulating new or missing components so that an
overall system can be started for testing.

Page 5

BETWEEN VEHICLES AND PRODUCTION AUTOMATION SYSTEMS:

END-OF-LINE TESTSIn end-of-line tests for battery-powered vehicles, different systems have to communicate with each other underdifficult conditions. In addition to communicating acrosstechnologies and protocols when connecting vehicles toautomation systems, protecting components from highvoltages and EM disturbances is also important.

FIRMWARE FLASHINGEOL TEST

Vehicle accessConnecting to test automation system with RBS and SECoc

LAN USB-A

LAN

USB-B

USB-A

REMOTE

USB-B

SD card

6-36 VDC
6-36 VDC REMOTE

SD card

FRC-EP 170

FRC-EP 170

IXXAT FRC-EP 170

PC

BMS COMMUNICATION AND FLASHINGThe DUT and the automation system are connected to read out the firmware status and to
flash current firmware for the battery management system (BMS).

IXXAT FRC-EP 190

PROTOCOLS

CONNECTING TO AUTOMATIONSYSTEM
Connecting automotive networks with factory
automation systems enables data exchange between DUT and automation systems.

INCREASING RANGEGreater distances can be covered using bridges
and gateways in CAN and CAN FD networks with
Ethernet/EtherCAT.

Page 6

EOL TEST – HIGH VOLTAGE
Data connection with RBS and SECoc functionality andgalvanic isolation

LAN USB-A

6-36 VDC REMOTE

USB-B

SD card

FRC-EP 170

IXXAT FRC-EP 190

OVERVOLTAGE PROTECTION
Galvanically isolated components and repeaters(including optical data transfer) enable protection of test equipment against overvoltage and
EM disturbances.

RESIDUAL BUS SIMULATION
Simulating all required signals for the BMS environment results in a complete in-vehicle system
for smooth operation.

Page 7

BETWEEN VEHICLES AND TEST SYSTEMS:DATA LOGGING INTEST VEHICLESIn test vehicles, data needs to be read out, written, andstored during vehicle operation. This calls for compact andenergy-efficient gateways that “understand” different bus
systems and enable reliable access to vehicle signals.

21RECORDING DATA AND SIGNALSREADING AND WRITING DATA

For test and analysis purposes, vehicle data needs to berecorded during operation; analysis is performed later
offline. The very large amounts of data require smart data
limitation mechanisms. These include selective logging ofindividual signals or messages using filters, an event-triggered start/stop feature, and automatic overwriting of olddata that is no longer needed. In addition, the data logging
feature has an energy-saving standby mode that can beended quickly during use of the product with wake-onfunction.

In-vehicle networks are closed systems within a vehicle.
Descriptions of these systems are not based on individual
devices as in industrial systems but on networks, using
message catalogs (DBC, Fibex, ARXML, LDF, A2L, andothers). The recorded data can be decoded and analyzed
using these descriptions. By using HMS products, users
have the choice of message-based or signal-based data recording to achieve the optimum results for each use case.

ZONE
GW

BLF, MDF4,
ASC, CSV

Data logging
on SD card or USB storage
devicePage 8CANnector

LAN

USB-A

USB-B

SD card

FRC-EP 170
6-36 VDCREMOTE

FRC-EP 190

TEST
SYSTEM

Zone
GW
Zone
GW
Zone
GW

2
Zone
GW

1

1
1

Page 9EMBEDDED PLATFORM:

FRC-EP 170/190

The FRC series was developed for very demanding end-ofline test applications and for the communication needs of
testbed tests. This product family can be used for gateway and simulation tasks (residual bus simulation and/or Simulink models) in various degrees of complexity. The

smart FRC products enable access to the most common
automotive protocols, such as FlexRay, CAN, CAN FD,
LIN, and K-Line. These networks can be quickly and easily
configured with the ACT (Advanced Configuration Tool)engineering software.

APPLICATIONSHIGHLIGHTS
Up to 8 CAN channels (of which 4 are
CAN FD compatible)
FlexRay
EtherCAT communication, e.g., for testbed
automation
Fast gateway throughput (< 300 µs)
Sleep mode with wake-on CAN
4 digital inputs and outputs
2 analog inputs (12-bit)

PRODUCT FEATURES
The products in the FRC-EP family are very compact andrugged. They feature various in-vehicle interfaces depending on the model. The units are equipped with additional
digital and analog inputs and outputs for basic measurement or control tasks. Connection and communication
with higher-level control tasks can be implemented via astandard Ethernet interface or an EtherCAT slave interface.
Multiple tasks can be performed in parallel using areal-time operating system. In addition, the FRC series
can perform real-time residual bus simulations; Matlab/
Simulink models can be integrated. Required functionality
and signal-based data manipulation can also be performed
using special code written by the user.

Page 10

Basic FRC series functionality includes high-performancegateway functions that enable CAN/CAN, CAN/LIN, or EtherCAT/CAN conversions in message-based, signal-based, or
mixed modes.
The basic functionality also includes transmitting any messages and signals from all in-vehicle networks via Ethernet
so that data can be transmitted over almost any distance.
The data can then either be read into PC or control applications or mapped on in-vehicle networks. Length restrictions of the kind that can occur with CAN FD or FlexRayas soon as DUTs are connected with the remote control
station can thus be avoided.
Messages can be recorded based on data or signals with
the integrated logging functionality. Logging can be started
or stopped via triggers, and pre-trigger recording is also
possible. Data can be displayed using the integrated web
server.
The FRC series is also remarkable for its simulation capability, which enables Matlab-based models to be imported
for data manipulation. A residual bus simulation is createdusing the ACT software and runs autonomously on the
product.
All applications can run in parallel so that, for example, agateway can be created that will simultaneously record
data and transmit it to a remote control station.
We provide additional information about the interfaces on
page 18. A description of the Advanced Configuration Tool
(ACT) and detailed information about its functions begins
on page 14.

FRC-EP
170/190
PROTOCOLS

DIN

DOUT

USB

K-Line

AIN

LAN

WLAN

Page 11

EMBEDDED PLATFORM:

CANnector

The CANnector enables simple automotive gateway andlogging applications. It was specially designed for engineering work, test bench, and EoL tests in production
where a residual bus simulation is not needed. The CAN-HIGHLIGHTS
Up to 8 CAN channels (of which 4 are CAN
FD compatible)
Can be mounted on a top-hat rail
EtherCAT communication, e.g., forconnection to testbed automation system
Fast gateway throughput (< 300 µs)
Sleep mode with wake-on CAN
2 digital inputs and outputs

PRODUCT FEATURESThe CANnector has a compact housing and can be mounted on a top-hat rail. Various in-vehicle interfaces areavailable depending on model. The unit is equipped withadditional digital inputs and outputs for basic measurement or control tasks.
Connection and communication with higher-level control
systems can be implemented via a standard Ethernet
interface or an EtherCAT slave interface.

Page 12nector has interfaces for CAN, CAN FD, and LIN and digital
inputs and outputs, while the FRC series also supports
FlexRay and K-Line.

The real-time operating system enables dynamic processing of multiple tasks.

APPLICATIONSThe CANnector features high-performance gateway functionality that enables CAN/CAN, CAN/LIN, or EtherCAT/CAN conversions in message-based, signal-based, or mixed
modes.
Its functionality also includes transmitting any messages
and signals from all in-vehicle networks via Ethernet sothat data can be transmitted over almost any distance.
The data can be read in PC or control applications or used
on in-vehicle networks. Length restrictions of the kindthat can occur with CAN FD or FlexRay as soon as DUTs
are connected with the remote control station can thus beavoided.

CAN
nector
PROTOCOLS
DIN

USB

LAN

DOUT

WLAN

Page 13

SMART CONFIGURATION WITH ENGINEERING SOFTWARE:

ADVANCED CONFIGURATIONTOOL (ACT)The FRC-EP and CANnector product families are the hardware foundation for numerous automotive applications,but their full performance can only be realized in combination with our configuration software, the Advanced

HIGHLIGHTS
Easy drag-and-drop operation
Intuitive configuration
Maximum compatibility with various
message catalogs (DBC, ARXML, FIBEX, A2L,etc.)
All use cases in one tool
Compatible with all FRC-EP and CANnector
products
No programming required
Functionality can be expanded with own
C code or Simulink models

All of the following modes can be used in combination.
Configurations are always set up on a Windows PC.

GATEWAY MODE
Gateway mode is the product’s core functionality. It can beused to exchange data between different bus systems andother functions (logging or display).
Certain communication settings can be made and links tomessage catalogs (DBC, ARXML, FIBEX) established duringconfiguration of the input and output buses. The subsequent definition of the data stream is done in the ACT

Page 14

Configuration Tool (ACT). We developed it with the goal of
helping users implement their applications with maximum
flexibility and ease of use.

by drag-and-drop and can be done at the message, PDU,
and signal levels. Various filter and mapping rules can beapplied, including message manipulation with user codeor Simulink models. RBS data can also be fed in.
Send triggers and default values can be defined for in-vehicle networks (CAN, FlexRay, LIN). The send time can also
be influenced on a case-by-case basis (event-driven on
receipt or change, cyclic, specific trigger, or combinationsof these). If the message catalogs of the source and destination buses differ, a signal transformation will take place
automatically.
An EtherCAT interface is available for communication with
control or SCADA systems. Once the data to be exchanged
has been defined and configured per EtherCAT master, theACT automatically generates the necessary ESI file.
Fewer cables and bridging greater distances
HMS supports the generic Ethernet protocol to help
reduce the number of cables or bridge greater distances.
The ACT is used to map the required data to the generic
Ethernet bus system. The data is transferred via Ethernet.
Conversion back to the other in-vehicle network is donewith a second product from the FRC-EP or CANnector family. If the data stream is directly connected to a PC, the VCIdriver enables the product’s use as a remote PC interface.

FUNCTION MODELS BASEDON MATLAB/SIMULINK
If function models based on Matlab or Simulink areavailable, ACT can integrate them into the overall configuration. If needed, ACT can automatically generate a basemodel that contains all required signal values and theframework for signal transformation from raw values tophysical signal values.
The user only needs to develop the desired functions with
Matlab or Simulink or copy the existing model into thebase model. In the end, the executable module is automatically generated from this model and integrated into
the overall configuration running autonomously on thedevice.

USER CODE AND SIMULINKManipulating data on the fly
With the C user code module, the ACT automaticallygenerates a C code skeleton containing all of the signals
and frames to be manipulated. The module generates theframework for the signal transformation from raw values
to physical signal values, depending on the defined bus
description files. Then the user has to finish by adding thedesired functionality, signal- or frame-based, event-driven
or cyclic, to the C code skeleton. This takes place in the
integrated development tool.

Page 15

SIMPLE RESIDUAL BUS SIMULATION
Residual bus simulation (RBS) is used to simulate electronic control units (ECUs) or parts of a vehicle. Common practice has been to program these simulations in a scripting
language.
The ACT makes it considerably easier to create a residual bus simulation by automatically generating it using
a description database in the integrated vehicle editor.
In the tool, the user only needs to select the ECUs to be
simulated.
All programming work is done automatically by the ACT.
The software detects the messages that need to be sent,
or which messages include CRCs or alive counters. Withother plugins, algorithms for cross-product generation of
CRCs can be defined so that CRC and alive counter computation is done automatically.

Page 16

MULTIFUNCTIONLOGGING
Logging functionality can be added to any configuration torecord data from any origin (in-vehicle network, EtherCAT, I/O ports, and synthetic data from RBS, user code, or
simulation).
The data can be stored in various formats (BLF, MDF4,
ASC, or CSV) on an SD or USB storage medium.
To start and stop logging, the ACT’s trigger module
provides a number of options, including pre-triggering at
configurable times. The fault condition to be investigatedoften precedes an event that can be used as a trigger, so
the pre-trigger function logs relevant troubleshooting data
before the triggering event occurs.

WEB-BASEDDATA DISPLAY
With the integrated web browser, products from the FRC-EP and
CANnector families can dynamicallydisplay signals graphically or numerically.
Any HTML5 browser can be used
to display the data on PCs, smartphones, or tablets.

SIMPLE DEVICE MANAGEMENT WITH ixADMIN
IxAdmin is the administration tool
for products connected to the ACT.
It can be used to load configurations
onto a device, perform updates,
manage runtime licenses, and makebasic settings. The IxAdmin tool canbe connected to a device via USB,
Ethernet, or WLAN.

EVERYTHING AT A GLANCEWITH THE VEHICLE EDITOR
Most in-vehicle communication solutions are based on bus descriptions
in CANdB, FIBEX, or AUTOSAR XML
format. Often they do not have all of
the information needed.
With the vehicle editor, all information
belonging to a certain vehicle, integration stage, or test configuration canbe easily grouped together. This data
can be accessed easily during further
configuration of the residual bus simulation.

Page 17

IN-VEHICLE COMMUNICATION MEETS FACTORY AUTOMATION:

PRODUCT SUMMARY

HMS offers a broad portfolio of products for testing and developing electronic components based on CAN, CAN FD, LIN,
K-Line, and FlexRay. From repeaters for overvoltage protection to high-performance gateway and RBS solutions, HMS isyour single source.

CANnector

FRC-EP170

FRC-EP190

Product description

CAN platform for gateway
and logging applications

CAN/FlexRay platform for gateway,
logging, and RBS
applications

CAN/FlexRay platform for gateway,
logging, and RBS applications

FlexRay A/B channel

-

1×

1×

High-speed CAN

4× (max.)

4× (max.)

4× (max.)

Switchable high-speed
CAN / CAN FD(additional)

4× (max.)

2× (max.)

4× (max.)

Low-speed CAN-

1× (max.)

2× (max.)

LIN

2×

1×

2×

K-Line

-

1×

1×

USB

3× (host and device)

2× (host and device)

2× (host and device)

2× (max.)

4× (max.)

4× (max.)--

2× (max.)

Other interfaces

Optional EtherCAT slave-

Optional EtherCAT slave

SDHC card slot

-

1×

1×

Digital I/O ports
Analog input (12-bit)

External extensions

WLAN (Wi-Fi), USB devices (e.g., GPS), 4G modem

PC connection

Ethernet, USB 2.0, WLAN (Wi-Fi)

Ingress protection

IP40

IP42

IP42

Galvanic isolation

Up to 2 kV-

Up to 2 kV

ACT

ACT

ACT

Configuration

Page 18

CAN@netNT420

CANbridge
420

CAN-CR
120/HVCAN-CR
110/FO

USB-to-CAN
FD automotive

USB-to-CAN
V2 automotive

CAN-ETH-CAN
bridge and PC
interface

CAN-to-CAN
bridgeCAN repeaterwith high galvanic isolation

CAN repeaterwith optical
fiber

CAN-PC
interface forUSB

CAN-PC
interface forUSB

High-speed CAN

2×

2×

-

-

-

2×

Switchable
high-speed
CAN / CAN FD(additional)

2×

2×

2×

1× copper
1× opticalfiber (duplex)2×-

Low-speed CAN

-

-

-

-

-

1×

LIN

-

-

-

-

1×

1×

Ethernet

1×

-

-

-

-

-

Protection class

IP20

IP20

IP20

IP20

IP40

IP40

Galvanic
isolation

1 kV

1 kV

3 kV

Unlimitedwith CAN
optical fiber

800 V

1 kV

Configuration /PC connection

Windows
tool /
Windows andLinux drivers

Windows
tool / -Not required

Not required

Certification

CE, FCC, UL

CE, FCC, UL

CE, FCCCE, FCC

Product
description- / Windows and - / Windows andLinux drivers
Linux drivers
CE, FCCCE, FCC

Page 19

WORK WITH HMS.
THE TOP CHOICE FOR INDUSTRIAL
COMMUNICATION AND IIOT.
HMS Networks – Contact
For other branch offices and distributors,
see our website:www.hms-networks.com/contact

Ixxat® is a registered trademark of HMS Technology Center GmbH. Other marks and words belong to their respective companies. All other product or service names mentioned in this document aretrademarks of their respective companies. Part No.: MMI123-EN Version 1, 05/2024 – © HMS Industrial Networks. All rights reserved. HMS reserves the right to make modifications without prior notice.

www.hms-networks.com/ixxat