Smart Engineering Tools designs and manufactures highly specialized tools for the automotive industry, including the Netway tool that provides real-time emulation and analysis for multiplex automotive networks with digital, analog and PWM signals capabilities. The Netway can be connected to a PC using serial or/and USB interfaces and operates in stand-alone mode. It handles all network channels simultaneously, thereby supporting gateway functionality. The device is delivered with application software.

A special Netway script language allows users to configure the tool for variety of tasks, such as:

• gateway functionality and message conversion between different network protocols,
• real-time network emulation and analysis,
• on-board data recorder and playback functions,
• custom-controlled bus interface,
• stand-alone module to simulate "missing node” or "rest of vehicle",
• end-of-line testing for manufacturing of multiplex modules, and
• data logging and recording with dynamic filtering.

Network messages are logged based on a network configuration file, user-defined filters, and user program flow. In addition to these more complex functions, the Netway is also designed for such simple tasks as monitoring and filtering network traffic, broadcasting outbound network messages and generating output signals. The Netway is housed in a single box that supports integration of optional daughter boards supporting a number of automotive protocols: multiple CAN channels, J1850 Ford and GM/DC, K-line (ISO9141, LIN), J1708, ACP and other custom protocols. A variety of handled protocols - combined with 8 digital outputs and 8 analog/digital inputs and PWM input/output capabilities - renders Netway a powerful tool for automotive network analysis and diagnosis.

The Netway is capable of converting information from one network or signal to another in real-time with worst-case one millisecond resolution. This feature allows users to utilize the tool in number of vehicle fleet applications where it is used as a translator from one network to another, such as from CAN to J1850. The Netway has been used by a wide range of customers –including such major automotive OEMs as GM, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Delphi, Visteon, Bosch, Continental-Teves and Denso - since 1997. The original Netway device is based on the PHYTEC miniMODUL-167 Single Board Computer subassembly. Due to increasing demands for microprocessor throughput, including an analysis showing that future Netway users would require at least a 40 MIPS-capable processor, a new generation of Netway devices was developed based the phyCORE-XC161.

Upgrading to a XC161-based solution allowed overall improvement throughput of the system about tenfold, while decreasing the total cost and complexity of the system mainly due to additional on-chip resources available on the XC161, such as on-chip CAN, MAC, I2C, Flash, JTAG and peripheral event controllers.