ASTM_E_2493_-_07.pdf

Designation:E249307Standard Guide for theCollection of Non-Volatile Memory Data in EvidentiaryVehicle Electronic Control Units1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2493;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This guide sets forth recommendations for the collectionof non-volatile memory data from vehicle Electronic ControlUnits(ECUs),or Event Data Recorders(EDRs),that haveallegedly been involved in an event or incident that is thesubject of litigation.1.2 The data collection methods used to retrieve data fromthe subject ECU or EDR include commercially availablescan/interrogation/test tools and also include proprietary scan/interrogation/test tools with prior agreement of the partiesinvolved.1.3 Additional,and potentially applicable,standards pro-mulgated by ASTM Committee E-30 on Forensic Sciencesinclude:Practices E860 and E1188.1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2E860 Practice for Examining And Preparing Items That AreOr May Become Involved In Criminal or Civil LitigationE1188 Practice for Collection and Preservation of Informa-tion and Physical Items by a Technical Investigator3.Significance and Use3.1 This guide sets forth recommendations for the collectionof non-volatile memory data from a vehicle ECU or EDR that,to the extent possible,do not alter the data being collected.3.2 This guide sets forth recommendations for the collectionof non-volatile memory data from a vehicle ECU or EDR that,in the case where data may be altered during the collectionprocess,informs the parties involved of the risk and type ofalteration that may occur.4.Procedure4.1 This section describes the specific guidelines recom-mended for the collection of non-volatile memory data storedin a vehicle ECU or EDR.Hereafter this will be referenced as“data collection”.4.2 A user of these guidelines who chooses to deviate fromthese guidelines is advised to obtain prior agreement from theinvolved parties.4.3 Data collection is performed using commercially avail-able tools and proprietary tools as agreed upon by the involvedparties.It is always preferred to perform the data collectionwith the ECU or EDR installed and electrically connected tothe subject vehicle.4.4 If external to vehicle power is required,the involvedparties should evaluate the vehicle and agree upon the mostappropriate method.It is preferred to use all or some of thevehicles electrical system to supply power to the ECU orEDR.If this is deemed not to be feasible by the involvedparties,an external power source may be used.4.5 Parts of the vehicle that are not in their“as-manufactured”condition that may alter the data during datacollection may be replaced with appropriate parts to reduce oreliminate the possibility of data alteration during data collec-tion.4.6 The use of equipment and procedures to reduce oreliminate the possibility of data alteration during data collec-tion is recommended under circumstances where it is necessaryto electrically disconnect the ECU or EDR from the subjectvehicle.4.7 If it is required to mechanically disconnect the ECU orEDR from the subject vehicle,it is required that the integrity ofthe mechanical mounting be documented before such removal.4.8 When commercially available tools are used for datacollection,the methods and procedures recommended by themanufacturer(or authorized representative)of those commer-cially available tools should be followed,except that any1This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E58 on ForensicEngineering and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E58.03 on VehicularIncidents.Current edition approved Jan.1,2007.Published January 2007.DOI:10.1520/E2493-07.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 methods or features of the equipment which alter the ECU orEDR data should not be used.4.9 When proprietary tools or procedures are used for datacollection,those proprietary tools or procedures are to beagreed upon in advance by all parties.It is preferred that anyproprietary tools or procedures be read-only,i.e.,that the datacollection tool will not have the capability of directly alteringthe data.If a proprietary tool or procedure is used that doeshave