CAN Protocols

Question :
I have Ford Fiesta Mk7 power steering unit (TRW Column Drive EPS CAN control) and I would like to use it on my Fiesta Mk2 Duratec HE 2.0 Racecar. Can any MBE ECU control this unit?

Answer :
The only problem you are going to have is getting the CAN protocols, no manufacturers release their CAN protocols. In the past, MBE have done development work for large manufacturers themselves and even then they would not release protocols outside.

The problem with anything that is CAN controlled, is that you have no idea what the messages should be and even if you discover some messages that get a system working, there may be other hidden safety messages that are being used to check that the system is working correctly. If these messages are either not received or transmitted, the system may appear to work correctly for a short period of time and then simply switch off assuming there is a fault. Hunting for any CAN data messages is like looking for a needle in 100 haystacks, so without the original CAN datastream protocols, it would be cheaper to fit a completely different system.

Obviously in the event of you being lucky enough to get the information required, if you are running an MBE ECU to control the engine then some protocols could be written to do the job required. We also need to know what other functions are necessarily associated with it, to decide which would be a suitable ECU for your needs.