Precise Data for Mobile Machines Using Sensors and CAN Diagnostics
Published in: bauMAGAZIN 09/2026
Modern construction machinery is increasingly characterized by electronic systems. Functions such as automatic leveling, work area monitoring, and driver assistance systems require precise measurement data and reliable communication between sensors, control units, and other components. This gives rise to two distinct metrological tasks: the detection of movements and changes in position, and the verification of data transmission within the vehicle.
In a static inclination measurement, a machine’s orientation can be determined relatively easily based on the acceleration due to gravity. However, when a machine is in motion, gravity and dynamic accelerations overlap. As a result, vibrations, travel movements, or acceleration and braking maneuvers can affect the measurement.
With its “MOTUS” family, GEMAC Chemnitz develops and manufactures specialized sensors for a variety of tilt and motion detection requirements. While static versions enable precise detection of machine orientation, dynamic sensors combine precise angle measurement with intelligent filtering technology. For applications in which other motion parameters are relevant in addition to tilt, inertial measurement units (IMUs) are also available. They measure acceleration and angular velocity, thereby providing the basis for a more comprehensive description of machine motion.
CAN-FD introduces new diagnostic requirements
The recorded measurement data must then be reliably transmitted within the machine. CAN has been an established communication system in mobile machinery for many years. With CAN FD, however, the requirements for the physical quality of the transmission increase. Higher data rates and shorter bit times reduce time margins and make signal disturbances more significant. Therefore, simply analyzing the transmitted telegrams is not always sufficient to clearly pinpoint communication problems. A telegram may appear correct at the protocol level, while the physical characteristics of the signal are already outside the optimal range.
The CAN bus tester GT3 from GEMAC therefore combines protocol analysis with a physical evaluation of CAN communication. In addition to analyzing CAN Classic and CAN FD telegrams, it allows users to examine signal waveforms and the temporal characteristics of the transmission, among other things. This enables troubleshooting to be expanded from the pure protocol level to the electrical signal quality.
Always keep an eye on the entire measurement chain
Sensor technology and bus diagnostics address different levels of the same electronic system architecture: While sensors provide information about the machine’s position and motion, bus system technology ensures that this information is reliably transmitted. This results in a seamless measurement chain for development, commissioning, and service—from the physical movement of the machine to the transmission of the data obtained from it. GEMAC Chemnitz develops sensor technology and measurement systems for mobile machines and industrial applications. The focus is on the metrological acquisition and evaluation of signals—both during the machine’s movement and during the communication of its electronic systems.
More Informationen about the CAN bus tester GT3: hier