What's New at Truck & Bus

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SmarTruck and HEV

The SmarTruck (pictured) from the Army's National Automotive Center (NAC) has a bevy of electronically intelligent devices that give its crew battlefield advantages. Among its capabilities, the vehicle can dazzle an enemy with super-bright lights; foil attempts to booby-trap it with explosives; protect occupants with bulletproof glass, Kevlar armor, and electric shock door handles; deploy an oil slick and tire-puncturing tacks to disable pursuing vehicles; clear mine fields with a high-power laser; and navigate in the dark with satellite and GPS. The NAC also supported the adaptation of a modified commercial pickup truck, the Dodge Ram HEV, which is equipped with a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain that can be operated in either hybrid or electric-only mode. The powertrain achieves up to 20% fuel efficiency improvements and reduces tailpipe emissions. At remote locations, the vehicle's hybrid propulsion components can be converted into a stationary electrical generator capable of delivering up to 30-kW (40-hp) peak power or 20 kW (27 hp) of continuous electrical power.

Electrical center

Cooper Bussmann - Automotive Products' Series 3000 Vehicle Electrical Center (VEC) is a flexible, cost-effective power distribution module developed for a variety of vehicle harness systems. With the device, connections are made via external "plug-in" keyed connectors. Four 8-way, 280 Series Metri-Pack color-coded connectors are offered—two each on two sides of the module—and two 2-pole input 800 Series Metri-Pack connectors are on the module's rear. Top connector points are arranged in 8.0-mm (0.3-in) spacing to accept standard components, including mini fuses, circuit breakers, diodes, flashers, and relays. The VEC uses a patented 3-D matrix technology that allows it to carry circuit loads up to 200 A.

Switch indicator

The Filter Minder graduated switch indicator from Engineered Products Co. monitors air-filter restriction. As restriction increases, the position indicator moves progressively until reaching the red zone or filter change point. In that situation, the switch activates the air-filter warning light on the dash.

Brake-stroke status

MGM Brakes' e-STROKE system enables quick, accurate brake-stroke status checks on heavy vehicles. Sensors convert air-brake actuator shaft travel into an electronic signal. A chassis communications module monitors these signals and outputs wheel-specific blink codes, which reveal whether a brake chamber is experiencing normal stroke, over-stroke, or is simply not functioning. The system can also identify brake dragging. A key benefit of the system is a decrease in service parts and labor costs due to better, more-responsive preventive maintenance.

Handheld protocol

Dearborn Group's DPA Palm OS Driver, a portable protocol device that integrates vehicle and automation networks to a Palm Pilot, adds to the company's protocol adapter family. The tool eliminates the need for constraint to dedicated hardware and provides a gateway between a Palm III and connected vehicle communication networks. The device currently supports network protocols J1708 and J1939. It also features an RP1210 driver that allows users to create custom applications.

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