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Controlling electrical loads on vehicles have been a requirement since the earliest days of the automobile. Electrical load switching is normally accomplished using electro-mechanical relays, coupled with fuses or circuit breakers to protect the wiring of these circuits during electrical fault conditions. In the past decade, smart, solid-state field effect transistor switching components have been developed, in a commercially viable form, to perform this switching function with no moving parts. Circuit protection is employed in these devices through built-in hardware circuits and/or by simulated fuse functions performed in the software of a host controller. This paper uses a systems approach to establish the requirements of electrical switching in a vehicle, followed by examining the benefits and consequences of each switching technology.

Increased features content, with electrical effects, have produced tremendous complexity in the design and support of the electrical system for commercial vehicles. Using individual wires coupled with various electro-mechanical components, to implement electrical system features, is no longer a desirable solution. Adding more wires and connectors reduces reliability and makes diagnosing electrical failures rather cumbersome. Likewise, customizing a vehicle with a specific set of features, by using discrete wire designs, make the assembly process prone to error. This paper explores a new approach to a vehicle electrical architecture that uses multiplexed wiring methods coupled with a programmable central control module. The most novel feature of the system is that the main electrical system control module may be reprogrammed with a unique set of vehicle features as required by each customer order.

Consumer electronic products developed for business, convenience and communication purposes, in vehicle applications, provide advanced features at a competitive price. However, the industry is challenged with providing a plug and play interfacing method for interconnecting these electronic products with each other and with the wealth of information that is available on the vehicle multiplexed serial data links. This paper will examine current industry trends in linking consumer products in passenger vehicles and suggests an approach for using this technology in commercial vehicles. Highlights of the Universal Serial Bus, the Microsoft/ Clarion Auto PC and the Intelligent Transportation System Data Bus will be presented. Various scenarios are offered to promote the benefits of bringing the information age into the commercial vehicle market.