Introduction to Local Interconnect Network

In June 1999, five major European car-manufacturers, one semiconductor supplier, and one tool vendor agreed on a specification for a class A multiplex protocol called LIN (Local Interconnect Network). This protocol has the following major features:

• Single Master / Multiple Slave Concept
• Low cost silicon implementation based on common UART/SCI interface hardware
• Self synchronization without crystal or ceramics resonator in the slave nodes
• Guaranteed latency times for signal transmission
• Low cost single-wire implementation (enhanced ISO 9141)
• Speed up to 20Kbit/s (limited by EMI)

This protocol offers for the first time the common base for class A multiplexing, supported by major car companies and being implemented by a large number of suppliers.