An electronic logging device (ELD) is an electronic hardware that is attached to a commercial motor vehicle engine to record driving hours. 

The driving hours of commercial drivers (truck and bus drivers) are regulated by a set of rules known as the hours of service (HOS). 

The Commercial Vehicle Driver Hours of Service Regulations vary in Canada and the United States.

An ELD monitors a vehicle’s engine to capture data on whether the engine is running, whether the vehicle is moving, miles were driven, and duration of engine operation.

The technical requirements for an ELD device are:

• CAN Bus port to connect to an SAE J1939/ OBD-II vehicle network
• GPS capabilities
• Sufficient data storage
• Cellular connection for sending vehicle stats and text messages or e-mail
• Driver cabin display for driver interaction (not included in the above image)

The first ELD hardware concept we introduce here is based on a Raspberry Pi Zero With CAN Bus Port And GSM/GPRS/GNSS support. It represents the smallest form-factor combined with lowest costs (the hardware costs for the configuration shown in above image are under US$110).

The CPU, i.e. the Raspberry Pi Zero, provides the data processing capabilities in combination with more than sufficient data storage capacity. It also comes with an HDMI monitor output that can be used for driver interaction.

The CAN Bus HAT manages the connection to the SAE J1939/OBD-II vehicle network. The onboard RS485 port can also be used to monitor (listen-only) SAE J1708 data traffic.

The GSM/GPRS/GNSS HAT for Raspberry Pi enables the Raspberry Pi to easily make telephone calls, send messages, connect to wireless Internet, global position, transfer data via Bluetooth, and more.

• More Information on the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Rule...
• SAE J1939 ECU Simulation And Data Monitoring Under Linux...
• SAE J1939 ECU Simulator And Data Monitor for Raspberry Pi...

Jumpstarting the Raspberry Pi Zero W: Control the World Around You with a $10 Computer

Get up and running quickly with the new Jumpstarting ebook series from Make: The super-small $10 Raspberry Pi Zero W includes wireless LAN and Bluetooth connectivity and is 40% faster than the original Raspberry Pi.

Why choose the Raspberry Pi Zero W? It's small, it's cheap, and it's power-efficient. It has WiFi and built-in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Moreover, it has the same general-purpose input/output (GPIO) header that bigger Raspberry Pi models have: the gateway to controlling all sorts of hardware.

Projects include:

• An environmental monitor that can keep track of the temperature in your house, and even turn on your fan or air conditioner before you get home from work
• A wearable light string that monitors news feeds and websites to alert you when something interesting is going on

This is the perfect book for students, teachers, and hobbyists who want a quick-start guide to the Raspberry Pi Zero W. No prior experience with programmable boards is required.

More Information...