SilverLeaf Electronics Technical Resources

RV-C Network Page

Description
RV-C is a standard for RV appliances to talk to share information, provide diagnostic data, control and be controlled. It is a “peer” network, meaning every appliance, or “node”, is equal in the eyes of the network. A typical network will consist of at least one or two control panels, one multi-purpose controller, a generator, and any number of appliances such as inverters, and slide and awning controllers. All the data is shared digitally using a single twisted-pair of wires.

These two wires form a “bus”, connecting each node. The “trunk” of the bus may be quite long, but the “drops”, or the lines between the main trunk and each node, is limited to no more than six feet. At each end of the trunk is a 120 ohm resistor connecting the two data lines. These resistors absorb any “ringing” on the bus.

Each RV-C-equipped RV will include a nine-pin circular connector, located either under the dash or in the utility bay. This connector allows the service tool to tap into the network and become another node in the system. Once connected, the service tool can send commands and ask for data from every node in the system.

For more information on RV-C go to: www.rv-c.com