Ensuring Accuracy: Validating EDR Tools for Ford Vehicles

Recently, we had the opportunity to analyse an Event Data Recorder (EDR) from a 2016 Ford vehicle using Collision Sciences' Crash Scan Tool. This tool primarily interfaces with the vehicle's OBD port to retrieve EDR data. However, in cases where the vehicle has no power or the networks are damaged, Collision Sciences offers an alternative method using their lab kit to connect directly to the module.

Given that Ford vehicles in the UK are typically unsupported by the Bosch CDR tool and that there are limited crash data retrieval tools available, we decided to further validate the data by using the Berla DLC adapter. This adapter performs an advanced network acquisition across all electronic control units in Ford vehicles, allowing us to cross-check the raw data extracted by both tools.

While Berla's software does not currently decode hex values from the EDR, adding this functionality would be a welcome enhancement for those using Berla's hardware and iVe software. Such a development could reduce the need for additional tools in certain scenarios. Encouragingly, we understand that Berla is working on introducing this feature for EDRs from other manufacturers, which bodes well for the future of crash data decoding—a notoriously challenging aspect of airbag control module analysis.

For our validation process, we first scanned the airbag control module of the 2016 Ford vehicle using the Crash Scan tool, followed by the Berla DLC adapter. The Crash Scan tool operates via Bluetooth, connecting to an app that generates a report after the file is reviewed by Collision Sciences staff. A hex-only file was requested and provided. Similarly, the Berla DLC adapter connects via Bluetooth to either the iVe software on a laptop or the Berla Mobile App, where a report can be generated within the iVe ecosystem.

In the excerpts below, we highlight that the hex values for certain crash data events match between both tools. While we rely on the accuracy of the raw data translation by the Crash Scan tool, the lack of other commercially available tools in the UK to interpret this specific manufacturer's raw data means we must trust this translation.

To further substantiate our confidence in the tool, we have tested the Crash Scan tool on vehicles that are supported by both Crash Scan and Bosch CDR in the UK, and found that the data values align. This consistency suggests that the data from the Ford vehicle has also been accurately translated.