SENT

The SENT digital interface (standardized as SAE J2716) is primarily designed for automotive applications.

Typical applications of SENT include vehicles, forklifts, agricultural machinery and tractor implements.

SENT stands for Single-Edge Nibble Transmission. The SENT interface is relatively simple: a three-pole cable connection enables unidirectional communication from sensor to controller (with high resolution).

Communication without synchronization or coordination signal 

A special feature of SENT: communication does not require a synchronization or coordination signal on the controller side. In each data frame, the actual data content of between one and six nibbles (each 4 bit), i.e. a maximum total of 24 bit, is preceded by a synchronization pulse of exactly 56 ticks.

Measuring the time it takes to transmit the synchronization pulse enables the control unit to determine the length of a tick and correctly receive the data frame. So that the data frames are always the same length, they end with a pause pulse that varies in length (according to the data content). This ensures a consistent sampling rate.

The SENT protocol also includes a status nibble that can transmit information on the type of sensor and its status. Another safety element is the checksum nibble (CRC) to check the data integrity. The result is inherent functional safety without additional effort and expenditure.