The Intelligent Transportation Society (ITS) has certain objectives to better manage the limited resources of roadways and streets. To help meet these objectives, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) created a Vehicle Area Network subcommittee. The subcommittee was to make recommendations that would benefit transit authorities by doing the following:
- Minimizing electronic hardware costs
- Providing interchangeability of on-board electronic equipment
- Creating standards which are open to all manufacturers, thereby minimizing the negative impact of proprietary systems
- Providing flexibility for expansion as technological advancements are made while minimizing hardware and software upgrades
Ultimately a specification was written, the SAE J2496 Transit Area Network Cabling Standard. This standard is simple and effective. It is comprised of a network of cables and access boxes as shown below.
The user can place as many access boxes in the network as necessary. The backbone cables are used to connect one access box to the next. Generally the last access box in the series is ordered without an exit connector for cost savings.
Get a closer look
More detailed information:
CBD/CBC Series - These are the combination signal and power connectors (36W4 variant) used on access boxes, backbone cables and power feed cables.
MD Series - These are the 9-pin signal connectors found on the access boxes only.
