Method of and apparatus for interrogating vehicle control device data

An apparatus for interrogating control device data from a plurality of control devices in a vehicle, comprising a diagnostic connection provided in a vehicle having a plurality of control devices;

• communication lines in said vehicle connecting said diagnostic connection to each of said control devices;
• a non-volatile memory containing information items including types, operating addresses and number of said control devices in said vehicle, said information items being retrievable from said non-volatile memory via a standardized address;
• and a test device connectable via said diagnostic connection to said non-volatile memory for interrogating said non-volatile memory to retrieve said information items and to the control devices via the diagnostic connection.

A method of interrogating control device data from a plurality of control devices in a vehicle, comprising the steps of storing in a central station of a vehicle having a plurality of control devices information items, said information items being retrievable from said central station via a standardized address and said information items including a type and number of said control devices in said vehicle;

• connecting a test device to a diagnostic connection connected by communication lines with said control devices and said central station, said diagnostic connection and said communication lines being provided in said vehicle;
• interrogating the central station with the test device via said standardized address to obtain data including the number of the control devices and the type of each of the control devices;
• and, thereafter, in accordance with the data obtained during the interrogating, accessing with the test device individual control devices by one of an automatic control and a manual control.