Evolution of local interconnect network (LIN) solutions

Automotive networking has developed a great deal over the last two decades, but its beginnings are in simple protocols based on readily available components such as the universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART). Designers have sought to use these basic components to take the benefits of networking into even the simplest sensors and actuators of the vehicle. This goal has been economically unsound due to product volumes being spread out to support many proprietary protocols. The LIN specification could allow this economic barrier to be broken as it gains momentum as a global standard for networked sensor and actuator systems for the automotive industry. The LIN specification is changing and LIN revision 2.0 will provide solutions and new challenges to automakers and suppliers alike. Some of these solutions have the potential to help the LIN consortium and automakers around the globe finally deliver on that promise of having a single global standard.