General Instrument AUTOLAN™- A High Speed Multiplexing System for Automotive Body Wiring Systems

AUTOLAN is a Class C multiplexing system suitable for use with realtime control systems.

It fully conforms to the SAE Multiplex Subcommittee's proposed definition of a Class C system in that:

• Repetitive and Bursty data transfers are possible
• Handshaking can be implemented
• More than 10 Nodes can be handled
• Latency less than 5 millisecond
• Bus rate 4 Mbits/sec
• It can be used as a Class B system to provide data communication between microprocessor controlled assemblies.
• It can be used as a Class A system to replace the conventional body wiring harness.

The transmission media is a dual twisted pair cable. Shielding may be required in extreme radiant field conditions, such as may be found in electric traction systems with a power rating greater than 500 HP.

AUTOLAN does not require a microprocessor at each Node. Rather, for Class C, the system microprocessor drives the AUTOLAN network, whose nodes act as its remote I/O ports. And for Class A and B, a single microprocessor at a Master node is dedicated to running the network.