The conversion of analogue information into digital information is done with the help of bits. By stringing the bits together, different information can be divided and defined.

A bit is generated in a motor vehicle by means of a voltage. By changing the voltage, the bit can be set as active (1) or inactive (0).

For example, the information whether the motor is running can be transmitted with a single bit. For the message "engine running" the control unit simply sends a voltage of 5 volts to the CAN bus. For the message "Motor not running" it sends 0 volts.

In order to be able to transmit more information, several bits are lined up in a row. Four different variants are possible with just two bits. Each variant can be assigned precise information. The more bits are lined up in a row, the more information can be recorded and transmitted. With each additional bit, the number of possible information is doubled.

Example of a transmission from a motor temperature:

10 °C = 0 0 0 0

20 °C = 0 0 0 1

30 °C = 0 0 1 0

40 °C = 0 0 1 1

In the animation you can see the digital message by clicking on the individual values in the diagram.