Onbus

Onbus is a conceptual framework for on-vehicle data communication that aims to provide a flexible, modular bus for connecting sensors, actuators, and control units within mobile platforms such as cars, trucks, and autonomous machines. It is designed to support scalable electronic architectures by allowing disparate components to interoperate through a common design philosophy.

It defines an abstraction layer called the Onbus Core that sits above physical networks (CAN, Ethernet, LIN) and provides device discovery, dynamic addressing, and a uniform message format. This layer is intended to facilitate plug-and-play integration of devices and to simplify updates to the vehicle’s electronic system without requiring extensive reconfiguration.

Messages in the onbus model are structured frames including a header with source, destination, and function code; a payload; and optional metadata for timing. The system supports quality-of-service levels, time synchronization, and fault-tolerant operation, with security features such as authentication and encryption for sensitive data. The design emphasizes modularity, clear interfaces, and predictability in timing and behavior.

There is no formal international standard for onbus. It has been described in academic papers and referenced in some open-source vehicle projects as a design pattern rather than a single specification. As a concept, onbus is used to illustrate approaches to unified device communication, layered architecture, and flexible integration in modern automotive and robotics contexts.

In practice, onbus aims to simplify the integration of new devices, enable modular electronics architectures, and support simulation and testing environments for automotive and robotics applications.