ISO 17987-7:2016

Overview

ISO 17987-7:2016 - Road vehicles - Local Interconnect Network (LIN) - Part 7: Electrical Physical Layer (EPL) conformance test specification - defines a standardized test specification to verify conformance of the LIN electrical physical layer. Its purpose is to provide a reproducible way to check whether a LIN bus driver (the Implementation Under Test, IUT) meets the electrical requirements specified in ISO 17987‑4, taking into account test methodology principles from ISO 9646. The standard enables consistent, interoperable LIN bus driver behavior across suppliers and test systems.

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 17987-7:2016 organizes test cases and measurement requirements for different device classes and voltages. Key technical areas covered include:

• Test scope and organization
  • Test case structure for devices with and without RX/TX access
  • Separate sections for 12 V and 24 V LIN devices
• Measurement and signal generation requirements
  • Calibration and operational conditions to ensure repeatable measurements
• Electrical parameters and static tests
  • Operating voltage range checks
  • Threshold voltages verification
  • Internal resistor measurement (IUT as master/slave)
  • Internal capacitance and dynamic interference checks
• Dynamic behavior and timing
  • Slope control and edge behavior
  • Propagation delay measurement
  • Supply voltage offset and failure-mode response
• Failure and robustness tests
  • Behaviour under fault conditions and non‑nominal voltages
• Test case identifiers
  • Standard includes named test cases (e.g., EPL–CT 1, EPL–CT 22, etc.) covering calibration, static and dynamic verification

The standard specifies the technical information needed so test results are consistent across compliant test suites and test systems.

Practical applications and intended users

ISO 17987-7:2016 is intended for organizations and professionals involved in LIN physical-layer design, testing and validation:

• Automotive OEMs and system integrators verifying LIN node compatibility
• LIN transceiver and ECU hardware designers ensuring EPL compliance
• Supplier test laboratories and certification bodies performing conformance testing
• Tool and test-system vendors implementing LIN EPL test suites
• Validation and quality engineering teams concerned with interoperability and robustness of LIN bus drivers

Using this standard helps reduce integration issues, improve interchangeability of LIN components, and accelerate supplier qualification.

Related standards

• ISO 17987-4 - LIN electrical physical layer normative requirements (referenced as the compliance target)
• ISO 9646 - Conformance test methodology referenced for test definition and procedures

Keywords: ISO 17987-7:2016, LIN, Local Interconnect Network, Electrical Physical Layer, EPL conformance test, LIN bus driver, interoperability, IUT, operating voltage, propagation delay, internal resistor, test specification.