Introduction

This part of the knowledge base describes the types of communication networks used in a vehicle. Modern vehicles often have many ECUs, connected by different types of networks.

First, the documentation offered by car manufacturers will be discussed. Most car manufacturers offer access to online portals with wiring diagrams and other useful information and software.

Then the most commonly used networks in vehicles will be discussed: LIN, CAN, FlexRay, and the different varieties of Automotive Ethernet. The CAN chapter also covers the types of messages that are sent over the bus, as well as common integrity protection measures such as counters and checksums.

Finally, SecOC will be discussed, a recent standard to add a cryptographic MAC to messages to prevent tampering.