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Today's truck and bus service technicians use on-board diagnostics (OBD) as the primary diagnostic tool in diagnosing faults in computerized vehicle systems. However, owing to the inherent limitations of the system architecture of OBD, the scope and accuracy of the diagnostic information available from it is frequently insufficient. This paper describes a new category of “intelligent” off-board diagnostics (OFBD) designed to cost-effectively supplement the diagnostic capabilities of OBD by providing the diagnostic information and functionality OBD is incapable of. It also examines the limitations to advancing the system architecture of OBD, and why OFBD is now the only solution to overcoming those limitations.

Today's automotive service technicians use on-board diagnostics (OBD) as the primary diagnostic tool in diagnosing faults in computerized vehicle systems. However, owing to the inherent limitations of the system architecture of OBD, the scope and accuracy of the diagnostic information available from it is frequently insufficient. This paper describes a new category of “intelligent” off-board diagnostics (OFBD) designed to cost-effectively supplement the diagnostic capabilities of OBD by providing the diagnostic information and functionality OBD is incapable of. It also examines the limitations to advancing the system architecture of OBD, and why OFBD is now the only solution to overcoming those limitations.