Building IOT Solutions using Bluetooth J1939 – A Communication Protocol

Since the IoT technology has clasped the world by vogue, it has the potential to change the way of functioning the system, Work Process and Revenue Growth. With the impact created by the IoT technology, it drives a new level of transfiguration in the Industries. Due to the insight adoption of IoT and Digital Transformation, Automobile Industry encounters impressive development in the technology Process.

Consumer vehicles tend to collaborate with IoT Solution in order to change the mode of analyzing and functioning of the parts. An advanced device so called “Bluetooth J1939” is used as a communication network in the commercial vehicle area. As the Bluetooth J1939 published more than a decade ago, now it has become as the most widely accepted for heavy-duty trucks and another kind of vehicles.

Bluetooth J1939 Protocol

What is Bluetooth J1939?

Bluetooth J1939 is a high-level communication network for sharing the control system and diagnostic information between electronic control units (ECUs) which resides in heavy-duty vehicles. This communication architecture operates on a Controller Area Network (CAN) which supports the real-time exchange of data.

This application layer interconnects with each other to provide communication between the engine control, torque control, transmission control and other possible sub-control system. The physical architecture of the J1939 is designed especially for the heavy-duty environment and capable of horizontally integrated vehicles.

Benefits obtained using J1939

Since the vehicle electronic parts are connected to one another as one central network which helps in monitoring the system effectively with help of IoT technology Solutions. As the connected vehicle platforms are connected to one specific network, its services get magnified. Here is the list of its results:

1. Enhanced Product Standardization
2. Vehicle Reliability and Flexibility
3. Self-diagnostics
4. Parts economy
5. Calibration of Individual Components
6. Log and record Capabilities
7. Persuading and deleting of Individual components Diagnostics data
8. Transmitting measurement values and control data of configured components

Applications Developed using Bluetooth J1939

Since SAE J1939 is adopted widely by the diesel engine manufacturers because of the increasing adoption of Electronic Control Unit (ECU). The ECU provides varied significant method of control over exhaust gas emissions within European and US Standards. Here is the range of industries that get benefits from the use of SAE J1939.

• Truck-trailer Connection
• Heavy-highway vehicles
• Diesel Powered Applications
• Agricultural Machineries
• Military Vehicles
• Mining Equipment
• Recreational Vehicles
• Marine Navigation System

Due to its robust connected vehicle technology in communication networking within the vehicle components, the top heavy-duty manufacturing brands migrating towards Bluetooth J1939. A number of manufacturing companies like Volvo, Daimler AG, Scania, DAF trucks, Nissan Diesel, BOSCH, MACK etc., started implementing J1939 for their latest upcoming heavy-duty vehicles.

A Real-time IoT Platform Connects Heavy-duty Machines to detect Downtime

Here is how CONTUS’ IoT application development team built a highly advanced sensory App Solution to the world’s largest manufacturer of heavy-duty Machinery embedded with Customized Bluetooth J1939 Protocol.

As CONTUS is a Digital Transformation Company, We harness the power of Industrial IoT Solution focussing Enterprise level Industries. CONTUS developed a high-end IoT sensory application which can help authorized service engineers to detect the defects in any part of the heavy-duty vehicle in minutes.

The Application development team was about to face a premium challenge in transmitting the information and pairing the external Bluetooth device along with the multiple ECU (Engine Control Unit) boards. The ideal test of this solution was decrypting the messages stored in the ECU board orderly to convert the abstract into an intelligible language. The information obtained was decoded using the high-end data interchange format JSON in order to receive alerts on the mobile device.

Crucial Encryption Technique

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) was the medium picked to establish the communication between the ECU board and Bluetooth J1939 in receiving the information from the Vehicle. Further, the crucial complication was the encryption techniques. CONTUS used AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption to ensure that the data which are in the form of Image, Videos and PDF’s are readable therefore preventing from replicating and downloading the information.

Finally, the App Solution was augmented with several appropriate features to experience a convenient platform to the end-user.

Here are the enhanced features enacted in the Sensory Application:

• Manual
• Service Menu
• Diagnostics
• Augmented Reality
• Skype
• Web Backend

On developing a IoT sensory application focusing insight analyzation of the machinery components may result in increasing the productivity, dynamic response in service management and better inventory management instantly.

“Great devices do not generate high data value, its the Intelligence that creates platform to Store, Analyzes and trigger actionable insights”