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ATL Co., Ltd. has developed its own CAN simulator for automotive lamp testing. The equipment controls the illumination of lamp specimens directly over CAN communication during testing, while simultaneously measuring and logging supply voltage and current draw.
Modern automotive lamps no longer illuminate as intended from a simple power supply alone. Functions such as high beam, low beam, daytime running lamps (DRL), position lamps, and turn signals are controlled over the vehicle network (CAN), so illuminating a specimen under a specific condition in the laboratory requires generating the same CAN messages as the actual vehicle.
The new simulator consolidates this process into a single instrument. On the Control panel screen of the touchscreen interface, selecting a function button — HIGH (high beam), LOW (low beam), DRL, PSTN (position lamp), or TURN (turn signal) — transmits the corresponding CAN message to the specimen and changes its illumination state immediately. Supply voltage can be set per channel directly on the screen, and the applied voltage and current draw are displayed in real time.
The simulator serves three main purposes. First, it establishes precise illumination conditions required for luminous intensity and light distribution testing. Second, it controls lamp operation throughout environmental and durability testing while logging voltage and current over extended periods to track any abnormal behavior. Third, it is used to verify the specimen's CAN communication itself, confirming responses to messages and fault diagnosis behavior.
The laboratory configuration provides three channels, each with HIGH, LOW, DRL, TELL-TAIL, PSTD, TURN, and TURN-ACT terminals plus CAN H/L terminals, allowing multiple specimens to be handled at once. Measured values can be reviewed on the instrument's LOG screen and used as test records.
A portable version was built for on-site work. The unit is integrated directly into an impact-resistant hard case, so it can be carried to customer sites or off-site test schedules and used to test under identical conditions.
Through its 2025 acquisition of the simulator specialist Cubic, ATL secured the capability to design and build test equipment in-house. This CAN simulator is a direct application of that capability on the test floor. ATL will continue developing equipment tailored to specific test items and customer requirements, improving both the accuracy of its testing and the speed of its response.