High Speed Controller Area Network (CAN)

WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 8 other vehicles, including the 2006 Ford RV Cutaway, 2006 Ford Pickup, 2006 Ford F550 Super Duty, 2006 Ford F450 Super Duty, and 2006 Ford Econoline. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The high speed CAN is based on SAE J2284, ISO-11898, and is a serial communication language protocol used to transfer messages (signals) between electronic control modules or nodes. Two or more signals can be sent over one CAN circuit allowing 2 or more electronic modules or nodes to communicate with each other. This communication, or multiplexing, network operates at 500k/sec (kilobytes per second) and allows the electronic modules to share their information messages.

Included in these messages is diagnostic data sent over the CAN high (+) and CAN low (-) lines to the DLC. The PCM connection to the DLC is typically done with a 2-wire, twisted pair cable used for network interconnection. The diagnostic data such as self-test or PIDs can be accessed with a diagnostic tool. Information on diagnostic tool equipment is described in DIAGNOSTIC METHODS .