Proximity Detection Device Interoperability

This report presents the results of research and industry collaborations undertaken as part of ACARP project C24034. The primary task of the project was to facilitate and assist the working group gathered together by EMESRT as representatives of the major OEM and proximity system vendors. The end outcome of this work has been envisaged as a standard, open architecture protocol with wide acceptance and uptake by the entire industry.

This project supported the working group by providing technical information and direction, as well as providing literature and background reviews. A primary outcome of this project has been the framework for a common protocol for communications between PDS and OEM devices in the mining industry. It was resolved by the working group that, due to its familiarity and broad industry acceptance, the preferred basis for the protocol should be the J1939 standards as established by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). There are a number of documented limitations of this approach, however it has been agreed that these are surmountable, and that the advantages outweigh the limitations.

This report provides an overview of the J1939 protocol in light of the vehicle interaction requirements defined by EMESRT. The EMESRT workshop also defined a set of fundamental signals or messages between the PDS and OEM systems that would be required for compliance with the proposed industry standard: these signals, and the J1939 protocol messages necessary to implement them, are documented. Some key issues remain to be addressed as part of the implementation process, such as the need for an agreed hardwired interface for communication with non-computerised vehicles. Of particular note in this category is the question of the extensibility of the proposed protocol, and the need for an ongoing roadmap to carefully manage the implementation process.

This report concludes with several recommendations for ongoing actions:

· Regular review and monitoring of similar technologies in the automotive field should be undertaken;

· A project to implement a testing and compliance verification suite to validate systems in development or production;

· Ongoing refinement of the protocol under development by the EMESRT group should address the identified issues preferably with reference back to the SAE standards, as well as the LISCA framework where appropriate.