The SoMat ECOM Vehicle Network Communications Layer offers three dedicated CAN device interfaces, a vehicle bus module (VBM) interface and a GPS communications port designed to work with SoMat GPS devices. All interfaces use a SoMat M8 female bulkhead connector. The ECOM is an extremely versatile layer, providing a direct correlation between vehicle bus channels with physical data (e.g. analog, thermocouple and frequency) as well as GPS. Up to 254 vehicle bus channels can be recorded per input, allowing total eDAQ system channel counts to be virtually limitless. Unlike other data acquisition products, vehicle bus channels do not consume any analog inputs. In fact, all 254 channels are input directly through a single connector.

The ECOM can be used as a passive eavesdropper on the controller network or, when needed, can become an active participant, making frequent requests for specific information. The ECOM layer utilizes a simple logical masking scheme to identify required frames in an easily managed textual database which identifies where a unique message is within the frame. These methods allow for a short learning curve and easy manipulation using tools such as Microsoft Excel® where parameter group numbers (PGN), parameter identifiers (PID) or even direct address information can be added or modified. The ECOM layer comes with many predefined databases, such as J1939 and OBDII, simplifying access to standard information.