A truck maker wants its controller to show battery charge and react to battery alarms. The battery factory offers CAN-bus, and the integration engineer asks what has to be agreed before the first connection.
Agree a written protocol before any hardware is connected: bit rate, message identifiers, data content and scaling, update timing, a heartbeat, and what the truck must do on each alarm. Redway lists CAN-bus and RS485 on its forklift packs, but the exact message set is agreed per project. Exchange the protocol documents, test with a bench logger, then on one truck, and freeze the version that passes.
What the protocol document should cover
- Physical layer. Connector, pinout, termination and bit rate.
- Messages. Identifiers, direction (pack to truck, truck to pack), length and repeat rate.
- Data. Charge level, voltage, current, temperatures, limits for charge and discharge current, and alarm and warning flags, with scaling and units.
- Timing and heartbeat. How often each message is sent and what the receiver does if one goes missing.
- Fault behaviour. What the truck does at a warning (reduce power, show message) and at an alarm (stop, lock out lifting).
- Version control. A protocol version number, so later changes can be tracked.
Testing
Start on the bench with a CAN logger and a simulated truck, then connect one real truck and check each alarm path safely. Record the traces and keep them with the approval. See our controller matching article and connectors article for the electrical side.
Redway’s BMS and telematics page and charging troubleshooting page give more background.
Keeping the integration stable
Freeze the protocol version after approval, and agree in writing that any change needs a test on a truck first. Keep a spare pack and controller with the same software version for fault finding, and record versions in the service log. This avoids a small update turning into a fleet-wide problem.
Risk limits
A wrong message can make a truck derate or stop, so test every alarm path before release. Do not change protocol settings in the field without approval from both suppliers. This article is general guidance; the protocol for your pack is confirmed with Redway.
Additional perspectives
Ask for the protocol document at quotation, not after the pack is built. A mismatch found on paper costs a day; a mismatch found on a truck costs weeks.
Redway Tech Editorial Team – Integration engineer perspective
Decide what the truck must do when messages stop. A safe default, such as limited power with a warning, is better than a sudden shutdown during lifting.
Redway Tech Editorial Team – Truck maker perspective
Keep a bench rig with a logger and a spare pack. It lets you replay faults and verify firmware updates without touching a production truck.
Redway Tech Editorial Team – Test engineer perspective
Specifications are taken from Redway product pages as of October 2026. Where a figure isn’t published, this article says so. Confirm current specifications for your model with Redway before ordering. This article is general guidance, not a site-specific engineering assessment.
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