This system specification, SAE J2461, revises the requirements for Vehicle Electronics Programming Stations (VEPS) set forth in SAE J2214, Vehicle Electronics Programming Stations (VEPS) System Specification for Programming Components at OEM Assembly Plants. SAE J2461 specifies the recommended practices for a Win32™ environment while maintaining the core VEPS architecture specified in SAE J2214.

SAE J2461 describes the application of the Win32™ environment to the customization of programmable components assembled in OEM vehicles, where components provide a communication API such as TMC RP120. Because the customization is performed using both OEM-provided and vendor-provided software, the roles and responsibilities of the vendor and OEM elements must be defined to permit the development of common vendor software elements for all Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

SAE J2461 identifies the system resources of a Win32™ computer between OEM and vendor components, the required elements comprising VEPS, and specifies the software interfaces needed between the OEM-supplied elements and the vendor-supplied elements. By maintaining many common elements with SAE J2214, an orderly transition from a MS-DOS™ based VEPS to a Win32™ VEPS can be achieved. SAE J2286 is the software interface element of SAE J2214 that specifies the Vendor Component Program Data File Interface for OEM Assembly Operations. SAE J2286 will still be the Data File Interface used for the Win32™ VEPS. TMC RP1210 describes the communication API used by the vendor programs.

The OEMs typically are horizontally integrated. Each major vehicle component has multiple vendors who compete for component sales in OEM markets. Customer orders determine a set of components from this variety to meet the vehicle''s desired performance requirements. Customization and calibration of these components for the vehicle''s application necessitates the need for a standard method to perform this programming without causing the OEM to install special VEPS for each vendor component. Hence the existence of MS-DOS™ SSAE J2214. As the need for more applications grow at OEM VEPS, a more flexible solution to the current RP is needed. Win32™ SAE J2461 provides such a solution.