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Mack Chassis - Bendix ABS6 TO ABS8 Service
Information

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Internal Content

Background
The Bendix ABS6 system with the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) has
been available in Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks for a number of years.
This system is configured with data that is specific to the vehicle that it is
installed in. A parameter (PAR) file, with vehicle-specific information, is
therefore stored in VDA for each vehicle that is equipped with ESP. When
the ABS ECU is replaced on a vehicle equipped with ESP, or if the PAR file
has been changed due to a vehicle configuration alteration, PAR file
programming is needed in order to load the ECU with the vehicle’s
configuration parameter information. This configuration is carried out by
performing the ESP Control Unit Configuration operation in Tech Tool.
The ESP Control Unit Configuration operation uses a Bendix-supplied
component to perform the PAR file programming. This component,
Vendor Configuration Program (VCP), is installed independently from
Tech Tool (it is not included in the Tech Tool installation) and therefore
must be installed separately. This installation is made available to Tech
Tool users on the Trucks Dealer Portal (TDP). Since the VCP can be
updated at any time and without notice, it is advised that it be reloaded
from TDP at each occasion that it is used. Historically, the update
frequency has not been very high however.
Bendix has replaced ABS6 with ABS8. With ABS6, PAR file programming
was performed over J1587. ABS8 does not support J1587. PAR file
programming for ABS8 therefore must be performed over J1939. This
revised wiring harness contained some ABS ECU pin changes and
deleted the J1587 connection to the ABS ECU (since ABS8 would not need
it). The result of this is normal ABS and ESP functionality, but no
possibility to communicate with the ABS ECU over J1587.
Service Tool Effects
These changes affect the Bendix ACom software as well as Tech Tool.
Bendix ACom
With ABS8 and ABS6 installations without J1587, Bendix ACom must
communicate with the ABS ECU over J1939. ACom has had the ability to
do this for quite some time, so no updates were needed to ACom to
enable it to communicate over J1939. ACom has experienced issues with
communicating on J1939 when using certain communication interfaces.

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This is due to the fact that two sets of CAN lines are present within the
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p
16-pin diagnostic connector: J1939 and ISO. For other heavy-duty
vehicles, J1939 is the primary CAN line (CAN 1). For Volvo and Mack
vehicles however, ISO is primary and J1939 is secondary. ACom did not
perform an auto- detection of which CAN line was the primary, but
instead made the assumption that CAN 1 was always J1939. The result of
this is no communication when using communication adapters with
cables that connect the CAN 1 port of the communication adapter to the
ISO pins of the diagnostic connector.
Examples of such communication adapters are the VOCOM and the
Nexiq USB Link. When using these adapters, communication with ACom
over J1939 was not possible. This is why it was not possible to work with
the Wingman system using the VOCOM adapter. Bendix was notified of
this problem and they issued a revision to ACom which enables it to
perform and “auto-detection” of which CAN channel J1939 is on and
communicate with it accordingly. With this revision, ACom can
communicate with the ABS ECU and the Wingman system over J1939
using any supported RP1210 communication interface (including the
VOCOM and the Nexiq USB Link). The version of ACom that this revision
was made is version 6.7.2.5, which was made available on Bendix.com on
October 17th, 2014.
Tech Tool
Removal of J1587 from the ABS ECU has effects in three areas of Tech
Tool:
•
•
•

Information display in Product Information
Fault Codes
ESP Control Unit Configuration

Product Information: With no J1587 communication to the ABS ECU, this
control unit will no longer appear within the list of control units within
the Product Information test.
Fault Codes: When a vehicle is equipped with ABS8 or ABS6 without
J1587, The source designation of ABS fault codes will be SA11 rather than
MID 136.
ESP Control Unit Configuration: As outlined earlier, PAR file programming
has previously been performed over J1587. This way of performing the
configuration is not possible for ABS8 or ABS6 installations without
J1587. Attempts to perform ESP Control Unit Configuration on these
vehicles will fail with a communication error after the PAR file is
downloaded, just after the VCP is launched.
Updates
In order to accommodate PAR file programming of ABS8 ECUs and ABS6
ECUs that lack a connection to J1587, the ESP Control Unit Configuration
operation within Tech Tool must be modified to accommodate the next
version of VCP, which Bendix has developed to support ABS8. This
UI
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updated version of VCP (version 3.0.5) is backwards-compatible. This
means that only one version of VCP is needed in order to support PAR

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means that only one version of VCP is needed in order to support PAR
file programming of all Bendix ESP systems that have been installed on
Volvo and Mack Trucks. The modification made to Tech Tool, in version
2.03.50, requires the updated version of VCP to be used. The updated
VCP is not compatible with versions of Tech Tool prior to 2.03.50,
therefore the former version of VCP must continue to be used with Tech
Tool installations that are not updated to
2.03.50 (this includes 1.12 installations that may still be in use for preBridgeplan vehicles). Also, previous versions of VCP are not compatible
with Tech Tool version 2.03.50 or later.
As before, the Bendix VCP installation is found on TDP. To find the
installation, click on Service in the upper menu bar, select software
downloads under Related Links on the right side. On the Software
Downloads page, the Bendix VCP installation is found in the lower
section, below the PTT & VCADS Downloads heading. Instructions for the
installation and performing the configuration operation are available at
this location as well (available in the appendix to this document). Notice
that there are two
2
sets of Bendix VCP installations available at this location: the first one for
Tech Tool 2.03.50 and later, and the other for Tech Tool versions older
than 2.03.50.
The updated Bendix VCP installation is greatly simplified when compared
with previous versions. In past versions, it was necessary to perform the
installation by running multiple files within the installation package. With
this version, only a single .exe file needs to be ran in order to perform
the installation.
Required .xml files that had to be loaded separately in the past are now
installed automatically by the application installation.
To the end-user, other than the installation differences, the ESP Control
Unit Configuration is basically the same as before. The operation is
performed the same way it always has been, with the possible noticeable
exception that the configuration performs a bit faster when being
performed on a vehicle using J1939.
Details and Limitations
The updated VCP (v. 3.0.5) installs into a different directory than the
previous versions and therefore cannot be used with Tech Tool versions
prior to 2.03.50 (because it will not be found in the location expected).
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The UI
verification file that is generated will now be found in a different
directory than before (in case this is needed for some reason- normally it
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isn’t). Rather than being placed in the VCP installation directory as before,
it will be placed in Program Data > Tech Tool > Toolbox > Bendix.
Currently, the range of communication adapters that can be used for
PAR file programming over J1939 is limited. Since the VCP application
does not perform an auto-detection of which CAN line J1939 is on, Tech
Tool must specify this when it launches the program. In this first
implementation, Tech Tool is only instructing VCP to communicate on
J1939 on CAN 2. This works for the VOCOM adapter and may work for
others as well, such as the Nexiq USB Link, but maybe not for others
such as the Noregon DLA+. For this reason, communication failures of
any kind may result in a message informing the user to try again using a
VOCOM adapter. This message may appear even if a VOCOM adapter is
being used, if the cause of the communication issue cannot be identified
by Tech Tool.
All dealers should have a VOCOM adapter- this is the one they need to
use to perform ESP Control Unit Configuration. An update to this is being
planned that will expand the range of possible communication adapters
that can be used so that any of them that can be used with Tech Tool will
be possible to use for this function also.
Basic Operation Flow
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Appendix
5
Configuration of Replacement Electronic Control Unit for Bendix®
Antilock Brake System with Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
Background
When equipped with the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) option, the
Bendix® Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit is configured with
settings based on certain characteristics of the vehicle that it is installed
in. Vehicle configuration data, generated during the vehicle production
process, is used to configure the ABS / ESP control unit when the vehicle
is built and is stored in the Central Systems. In the event that the ABS /
ESP control unit must be replaced during the lifetime of the vehicle, the
replacement control unit must be configured with the ESP data that was
generated and stored for the vehicle when it was built.
Function
Replacement Bendix ESP control units can be configured for Mack and
Live
UITrucks with the “ESP Control Unit Configuration” operation found
; Volvo
in Tech Tool. The operation will download a configuration file for the
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connected vehicle and initiate configuration of the ESP feature via the
Bendix® Vendor Configuration Program (VCP).
A specific Bendix® VCP package for Tech Tool must be installed on the
PC prior to performing an ESP configuration. This software is not
installed as part of Tech Tool and therefore must be downloaded and
installed separately.
Download
The Bendix® VCP installation can be found on the Trucks Dealer Portal
(www.trucksdealerportal.com) website.
*This installation file may be updated at any time and should be
downloaded only from the Trucks Dealer Portal website.
Download Instructions:
1. Login to Trucks Dealer Portal (TDP)
2. Go to (1) Service area -> (2) software download section -> scroll down
to (3) PTT&VCADS Downloads
[see figure 1]
[Figure 1]
3. Click the Bendix VCP link to download the latest installation file for
Tech Tool
4. Save the .zip file in a location on the PC that is easy to find – for
example, “C:\Temp” or the Desktop.
2
Software Installation
CAUTION: If the Bendix® Vendor Configuration Program or ABS6 Vendor
Configuration Program is already installed on the PC - it must be
removed prior to installing a new version.
Removal Instructions:
1. Go to the ‘Control Panel’ in Windows – double click on ‘Add or
Remove Programs’.
2. In the list of currently-installed programs find Bendix® ABS6 Vendor
Configuration Program or
Bendix® Vendor Configuration Program – right click and select
‘Remove/Uninstall’.
3. Follow the prompts guiding you through the uninstall process.
- Once the old version has been removed – the new version can be
installed.
Bendix (VCP) Installation:
1. Go to the location where the .zip file was saved.
2. Open the zip file and double-click the Bendix Vendor Configuration
Program VM.exe file.
Live
UIIt may be necessary to extract the file to a temporary location
; Note:
before running the .exe file.
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Right click on the .zip file and “extract” it to a temporary location.
Go to the temp location, find the Bendix Vendor Configuration

Program VM.exe file and double-click it.
3. Follow the installation instructions using the default settings.
(Additional components used by Bendix® VCP will be installed if they are
not on the pc)
Note: A message will be shown if an additional required component is
not installed on the PC. [see figure 2]
[Figure 2]
1. Click ‘Install’ to install the component; selecting ‘Cancel’ will abort the
installation.
2. When the component installation finishes, the installation will
continue. Click ‘Next’ to proceed. [see figure 3]
[Figure 3]
3
ESP Control Unit Configuration
Preparation
Install Replacement ABS / ESP Control Unit into Vehicle
If the ABS / ESP control unit is being replaced install replacement unit,
following procedures outlined in applicable service information.
Network Connection at the Vehicle
In order to perform the ESP Control Unit Configuration operation, it must
be possible to connect to the vehicle and the Central Systems at the
same time. Therefore, it must be possible for the PC to have a network
(LAN or Wi-Fi) connection while also connected to the vehicle’s diagnostic
connector.
Performing ESP Control Unit Configuration
After performing the actions outlined in the Preparation section above,
connect the PC to the vehicle’s diagnostic connector and complete the
vehicle identification process displayed in Tech Tool’s ‘PRODUCT’ tab.
(Make sure that the PC has the possibility to connect to Central Systems
via a network/internet connection).
Select the “TEST” tab and expand group ‘5 – Brakes’ and open the ‘ESP
Control Unit Configuration’ operation. [see figure 4]
[Figure 4]
4
The ESP Control Unit Configuration operation is structured as a checklist
of actions, similar to control unit software programming operations. [see
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figure 5]
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[Figure 5]
Start the operation by clicking the start button in the toolbar. After the
conditions are confirmed, the operation will read data from the vehicle. A
connection to Central Systems will be made in order to download the
ESP system configuration file for the connected vehicle.
After the ESP system configuration file is downloaded, a configuration
window containing a status bar will appear while the ESP control unit is
configured. [see figure 6]
Note: On some occasions, the status bar window may appear blank.
Although it appears that no action is occurring, the process is
proceeding. In this case, allow the process to continue. The ABS ECU will
be restarted and the configuration window will disappear when its task is
complete and the process will continue in the main operation window.
[Figure 6]
After the configuration is complete, the configuration window will be
closed and another connection to Central Systems will be made in order
to send a confirmation that the configuration has been completed
successfully.

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