ISO 27145-6-2023 PDF

Full title and description

Road vehicles — Implementation of World‑Wide Harmonized On‑Board Diagnostics (WWH‑OBD) communication requirements — Part 6: External test equipment. This international standard specifies the minimum requirements and functions for external test equipment used to establish communications with WWH‑OBD‑equipped vehicles and to exercise the diagnostic services defined in ISO 27145‑3.

Abstract

This document defines requirements for external test equipment as a means to (a) establish communications with WWH‑OBD vehicles and (b) provide a set of diagnostic services (including addressing methods) required to exercise the services in ISO 27145‑3. It describes minimum capabilities and warns that optional, non‑WWH‑OBD functions may be integrated only if they do not adversely affect either the vehicle or the test equipment; timing requirements in this part do not apply to functions outside the scope of ISO 27145‑3.

General information

• Status: Published.
• Publication date: May 2023 (published edition date listed as 2023‑05 / 5 May 2023).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 43.180 (Diagnostic, maintenance and test equipment); 43.040.10 (Electrical and electronic equipment).
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (2023).
• Number of pages: 32 pages (standard document length as published).

Scope

Specifies the minimum capabilities, diagnostic services and addressing methods that external test equipment must provide to connect to and exercise WWH‑OBD services on vehicles that implement the ISO 27145 series. The document covers communications establishment, the set of diagnostic services required to exercise ISO 27145‑3 services, and constraints to ensure added functionality (e.g., non‑WWH‑OBD protocols or repair information) cannot adversely affect vehicle or equipment operation. Timing requirements in this part apply to the WWH‑OBD‑covered functionality and are not linked to optional functions outside ISO 27145‑3.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition of external test equipment roles and responsibilities when interfacing to WWH‑OBD vehicles.
• Communication interface and connection requirements to establish reliable links between vehicle and test equipment.
• Required diagnostic services and addressing methods to exercise ISO 27145‑3 message sets.
• Minimum functional capabilities that test equipment must support (safety, non‑interference, basic diagnostics).
• Constraints for optional or additional functions (e.g., non‑WWH‑OBD protocols, repair data) so they do not compromise vehicle or equipment integrity.
• Timing and performance requirements applicable to WWH‑OBD functions; explicit statement that non‑covered functionality is exempt from those timing constraints.

Typical use and users

Used by vehicle manufacturers (OEMs), diagnostic equipment designers and manufacturers, test laboratories, type‑approval and compliance bodies, and service tool developers to ensure external diagnostic tools interoperate with WWH‑OBD‑compliant vehicles and meet global OBD testing requirements. Engineers working on vehicle diagnostics, calibration, and verification will consult this standard when designing or validating test equipment.

Related standards

Part of the ISO 27145 family (WWH‑OBD communication implementation). Closely related documents include ISO 27145‑1 (general information and use cases), ISO 27145‑3 (common message dictionary defining the diagnostic message set exercised by external equipment), and ISO 27145‑4 (connection between vehicle and test equipment). The standard also interacts functionally with UDS (ISO 14229), transport/data‑link standards such as ISO 15765 (DoCAN) and ISO 13400 (DoIP), and the WWH‑OBD Global Technical Regulation (GTR) requirements it implements.

Keywords

WWH‑OBD, on‑board diagnostics, external test equipment, vehicle diagnostics, diagnostic services, ISO 27145, DoCAN, DoIP, UDS, test equipment requirements.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: An ISO international standard (ISO 27145‑6:2023) that specifies the requirements and minimum functions for external test equipment used to communicate with and exercise WWH‑OBD diagnostic services on road vehicles.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers communications establishment between vehicle and external test equipment, the set of diagnostic services and addressing methods the equipment must provide to exercise ISO 27145‑3 services, minimum capabilities, safety/non‑interference constraints, and timing considerations for WWH‑OBD functions.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: OEMs, diagnostic/test equipment manufacturers, type‑approval and compliance authorities, service tool developers, and vehicle diagnostic engineers and laboratories.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: Current — ISO 27145‑6:2023 was published in May 2023 (Edition 2) and replaces/withdraws the previous ISO 27145‑6:2015 edition.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is part of the ISO 27145 series implementing WWH‑OBD communication requirements; other parts include general information (Part 1), the common message dictionary (Part 3), and the vehicle/test connection details (Part 4), among others.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: WWH‑OBD, external test equipment, on‑board diagnostics, diagnostic services, ISO 27145, DoCAN, DoIP, UDS, vehicle diagnostics.