The Multifunction Vehicle Bus (MVB)

A deterministic and robust fieldbus communication solution is necessary for safety-sensitive systems which must operate in harsh and disturbed environments, for example inside railway vehicles, and where instant response through very low latency time is required. The Multifunction Vehicle Bus (MVB) is a fieldbus which has been specifically designed for railway vehicles and proven to operate in various applications, e.g. in the SBB Re460 locomotives (Lok2000). The MVB is currently proposed to the IEC for standardization. This paper gives an introduction of the MVB, the Real-Time Protocol, available turn-key communication hardware and application examples in both transportation and non-transportation systems.