0x1B's LIN USB Adapter Brings the Local Interconnect Network to Your Nearest USB Port
Designed as a low-cost alternative to the CAN bus, LIN-based automotive projects are now easier to start and debug.
Polish maker 0x1B has released a compact board designed to connect a Local Interconnect Network (LIN) to USB, in either primary or client modes and at speeds of up to 20Kb/s.
Designed as an alternative to the more expensive-to-implement CAN bus, the Local Interconnect Network was developed by Volcano Automotive Group and Motorola for BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz. The first full version of the standard was introduced in 2002, with a second version released in 2003.
"The project was created because I needed communication between the application on the computer and the device on the LIN bus," 0x1B explains of the board. "The adapter enables communication with galvanic isolation, as well as the possibility of bridging it and powering the adapter from the USB port."
The board uses an NXP TJA1028T LIN transceiver to operate as the sole primary or one of up to 15 clients on a LIN bus, with ISO7221 galvanic isolation — bridgeable for USB power, if required. It supports bit rates from 1Kb/s to the top-end 20Kb/s introduced in the LIN 2.2 standard, and uses an FTDI chip for USB communication.
The boards are available fully-assembled on 0x1B's Tindie store, priced at $21.90 each.