Drew Tech Hardware / Software Integration

Drew Tech’s wide product line, ranging from low cost CAN and J2534 USB devices under $200 to high functioning but compact wireless GPS-capable Linux systems offers a great private label or co-branded 3^rd party solutions to software developers and integrators. With our standard API and diagnostics libraries, 3^rd party integrators can bring vehicle communications, diagnostics, and even reflashing into their existing application without learning vehicle communications and diagnostics specific information.

3rd Party software and hardware

Drew Tech has products and services available to help bring vehicle data into 3rd party software and hardware products. Drew Tech has data available for license including OBD2 databases containing Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), OBD2 monitor data, generic Live PID data logging information, and enhanced manufacturer-specific high speed data. This data combined with Drew Tech hardware will act as a complete solution for integrating vehicle data into existing applications. Examples include the following:

Emissions and Dyno Test Stations

Drew Tech has several wired and wireless devices that can easily integrate OBD2 functionality into 3rd party emissions station, Dynamometers, and kiosks. In addition to the off-the-shelf products, Drew Tech also has specialty hardware for use in this environment. Drew Tech provides the developer with an API and diagnostics library so reading DTC's and the OBD2 monitors can easily be accomplished in the developer's existing software interface. Because the Drew Tech products are J2534 compliant, they will communicate with any OBD2 vehicles on the road. Drew Tech also offers J1939 and J1708 devices to communicate with heavy duty and public transportation vehicles.

Fleet Management Systems

For fleet applications, Drew Tech has several products ranging from low cost to high functionality. For low cost applications, the Drew Tech Mongoose® can be used in fleet systems that support USB to integrate vehicle diagnostics and communications. For high end, high functionality systems, the CarDAQ+ family of products can be used to integrate vehicle communications, optional GPS position, and even run applications on it's embedded Linux system all over wired or wireless Ethernet. The diagram below shows how a typical fleet monitoring system is currently configured. A CarDAQ+ could take perform the functionality of OBD2 compliant device, GPS receiver, Laptop computer or PDA, and Wi-Fi communications. With the Compact Flash slot expansion capability, even CF cellular modems can be installed. Utilizing the application host, web server, and file server in CarDAQ-Plus eliminates the need for a separate PC or PDA inside the vehicle.

Remote vehicle diagnostics

Both CarDAQ-Plus and ScanDAQ offer the ability to host applications internally on embedded Linux. In addition to this application hosting feature, both products also have built-in web and file servers. This unique feature set allows a developer to create a remote diagnostic system where a technician across the city or across the world can communicate with the vehicle thru the attached CarDAQ-Plus or ScanDAQ. Remote diagnostics can be performed thru wired connections when the vehicle is taken to a service station, or thru a wireless link.

Shop Management Software

Using Drew Tech's hardware and diagnostic library, software developers can bring information from the vehicle directly into shop management software. This functionality can speed up the process for creating customer tickets because the vehicle VIN information can be pulled directly in to decipher make/model/year information. Aside from vehicle identification information, this integration can display existing Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and freeze frames on the customer's order to show existing problems.