ISO 17987-4-2016 PDF

Full title and description

Road vehicles — Local Interconnect Network (LIN) — Part 4: Electrical physical layer (EPL) specification 12 V/24 V (ISO 17987-4:2016). This part of ISO 17987 defines the electrical physical-layer characteristics and basic bus-driver functionality for LIN low-cost single-wire networks used in automotive electronic control units (ECUs).

Abstract

ISO 17987-4:2016 specifies the 12 V and 24 V electrical physical layers (EPL) for the LIN communications system: single-wire medium referenced to ground, electrical transmission characteristics, bus driver behaviour, and recommended operating ranges. The LIN EPL is intended for low-cost in-vehicle networks with bit rates up to 20 kbit/s and parameter definitions for the ambient temperature range −40 °C to 125 °C.

General information

• Status: Withdrawn / superseded.
• Publication date: September 2016 (Edition 1).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 43.040.15.
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2016).
• Number of pages: 27 (as published by ISO).

Scope

Defines electrical characteristics and functional requirements of the LIN physical layer for 12 V and 24 V vehicle electrical systems, including signal levels, timing constraints, driver and receiver behaviour, and environmental operating limits for typical automotive ECU interconnection. Parameters and tests are specified for operation across −40 °C to 125 °C and for LIN bit rates up to 20 kbit/s. Note: this 2016 edition has been withdrawn and a revised edition was published in 2025 with expanded material (see Related standards).

Key topics and requirements

• Electrical characteristics for LIN EPL at 12 V and 24 V (voltage levels, thresholds, impedance).
• Single-wire, ground-referenced physical medium and associated driver/receiver specifications.
• Bit-rate support up to 20 kbit/s and timing requirements for dominant/recessive signalling.
• Bus-driver functional documentation (wake-up, sleep, dominant drive, fail-safe behaviour).
• Environmental operating range: −40 °C to 125 °C and associated parameter tolerances.
• Conformance/test implications referenced by companion parts of ISO 17987 (conformance/test specifications in the series).

Typical use and users

Applied by automotive hardware and firmware engineers designing LIN transceivers and ECU interfaces, component manufacturers of LIN bus drivers and receivers, vehicle network architects integrating LIN sub-networks, test laboratories verifying EPL conformance, and standards teams ensuring interoperability between LIN nodes.

Related standards

Part of the ISO 17987 (LIN) series. Other parts include general/use-case and protocol specifications and conformance-test documents (for example ISO 17987‑1, ISO 17987‑2, ISO 17987‑3, ISO 17987‑6, ISO 17987‑7, etc.), many of which were also revised in the 2025 update cycle. The 2016 ISO 17987-4 edition has been superseded by ISO 17987-4:2025 (Edition 2).

Keywords

LIN, Local Interconnect Network, electrical physical layer, EPL, single-wire, bus driver, ECU, automotive networking, 12 V, 24 V, LIN EPL, ISO 17987.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 17987-4:2016 is the International Standard that defined the electrical physical layer (EPL) for LIN networks in road vehicles (12 V and 24 V).

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers the electrical signal characteristics, driver and receiver functional behaviour, timing and environmental limits for LIN single-wire networks intended for low-cost in-vehicle communications (bit rates up to 20 kbit/s).

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Automotive ECU and transceiver designers, vehicle network architects, component manufacturers, and independent test laboratories that perform physical-layer conformance testing.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2016 edition has been withdrawn and superseded; a revised edition ISO 17987-4:2025 (Edition 2) was published and is the current active document.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — ISO 17987 is a multipart series for LIN (parts cover general information, transport/protocol layers, EPL, and conformance tests). The series was revised in 2025 with updated parts across the family.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: LIN, EPL, electrical physical layer, single-wire, bus driver, ECU, 12 V, 24 V, automotive network, ISO 17987.