GMLAN High Speed Circuit Description

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2008 Pontiac G5 and 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The data link connector (DLC) allows a scan tool to communicate with the high speed GMLAN serial data circuit. The serial data is transmitted on 2 twisted wires that allow speed up to 500 Kb/s. The twisted pair is terminated with two 120 ohms resistors, one is internal to the powertrain control module (PCM) or engine control module (ECM) depending on regular production option (RPO) and the other is internal to the body control module (BCM). The BCM is considered the DLC termination point of the link and the engine management controller is the other end of the link. The resistors are used to reduce noise on the High Speed GMLAN buss during normal vehicle operation. The high speed GMLAN is a differential bus. The high speed GMLAN serial data bus (+) and high speed GMLAN serial data (-) are driven to opposite extremes from a rest or idle level. The idle level, which is approximately 2.5 volts, is considered recessive transmitted data and is interpreted as a logic 1. Driving the lines to their extremes, adds one volt to the high speed GMLAN serial data bus (+) and subtracts one volt from the high speed GMLAN serial data bus (-) wire. This dominant state is interpreted as a logic 0. GMLAN network management supports selective start up and is based on virtual networks. A virtual network is a collection of signals started in response to a vehicle event. The starting of a virtual network signifies that a particular aspect of the vehicles functionality has been requested. A virtual network is supported by virtual devices, which represents a collection of signals owned by a single physical device. So, any physical device can have one or more virtual devices. The signal supervision is the process of determining whether an expected signal is being received or not. Failsofting is the ability to substitute a signal with a default value or a default algorithm, in the absence of a valid signal. Some messages are also interpreted as a heartbeat of a virtual device. If such a signal is lost, the application will set a no communication code against the respective virtual device. This code is mapped on the Tech 2 screen as a code against the physical device.