The LIN-Bus is the cheaper alternative to the CAN-Bus. In this case, intelligent sensors are combined with simple controllers, which can filter and convert signals. It consists of a main control device (master) and up to 16 slaves). The voltage varies between 0,7 - 1 V and 12 - 14 V. A typical application would be the gathering of data through an interior-controller, which in itself, is integrated into the CAN-comfort-Bus. It is used, for example, for the collecting of data for the engine control module, which might in turn be integrated in the CAN-Bus. It is possible, to also have actuators in the LIN-Bus. The data transfer rate is, with a max. of 20-25 Kbit/s distinctly slower than in the CAN-Bus.

In the LIN-Bus the priority is not first determined, because the master has the say. It can call up data and then urge response. Only after the master has sent it's message with the respective header, can the addressed slave (sensors) fill the data-Bus or, in the case of the actuators, carry out the waiting commands. What is also important here is the, compared with the CAN-Bus, significantly enlarged amount of synchronisation.

The transmission-pause is ended by the master reducing the voltage for a period of at least 13 bits. After a further synchronisation-phase, an explicit slave is determined by a 4-bit identifier. The master transmits and reads simultaneously, in this manner it notes certain disturbance influences. If errors are present, e.g., through partial line interruptions, they are picked up by the actuator, because at the end, the check-sum may not be correct. It takes no further notice of the message. Additional error processing varies from manfacturer to manufacturer. 02/13