Description files for internal ECU parameters

Description files let the user access internal ECU parameters by symbolic names. A2L files are elementary components of every measurement and calibration operation, and it should be noted that the CCP and XCP protocols are address-oriented in their operation. The user selects objects by symbolic name, while CANape takes the associated addresses from the A2L and uses them in communication with the ECU.

Contents of the A2L database

An ASAP2 description file (also called A2L) contains all information on the relevant data objects in the ECU such as characteristics (parameters, characteristic curves and maps), real and virtual measurement variables and variant dependencies. Information is needed for each of these objects, such as memory address, storage structure, data type and conversion rules for converting them into physical units. In addition, an A2L also contains the parameters for communication between CANape and the ECU.

Besides the ECU description files, CANape reads-in all relevant formats for bus data and diagnostic descriptions and provides visualization tools and editors for this purpose:

continue to "Generating the A2L files"...