sent on september 19, 2025
I set aside a couple hours every week to learn more about recon-related topics and compress the highlights into these emails. Some recent communication with HVEDR authority Matt Disogra put the Bendix Data Recorder [BDR] into my educational hopper.
Matt, Jeff Hirsch, and Adam Yeakley wrote a 2025 SAE paper called Examination of the Data Structures of the Bendix® Data Recorder. Normally, I’d read the paper, pull the key findings, and relay them in writing.
However, this time I sat down with Matt and Jeff to have a conversation about the value of the BDR and how they’re acquiring/interpreting the data. A little more pow!
As you’ll hear Matt say, the BDR is "a better data recorder by almost every measure.” As such, if you’re not prioritizing Bendix data at this point, I highly recommend tuning in. The conversation can be seen below or heard on any podcast platform (Apple, Spotify).
If you don’t currently have the bandwidth to watch/listen, here’s the TLDR.
BDR provides better data than engine-based EDRs by almost every measure
The data can be acquired via the DLC using ACom (if systems are intact)
The raw hex data is stored in the HTML version of the recovered DTC report
The data can be acquired via the DLC using ACom (if systems are intact)
The raw hex data is stored in the HTML version of the recovered DTC report
The report can be shipped off to Bendix for translation, translated using the method presented in their SAE paper, or sent to Delta |v| for translation.
Thanks to Matt and Jeff for taking the time to share their knowledge. I have a whole new appreciation for Bendix data.
Thanks for reading, keep exploring!
Lou Peck
Lightpoint | JS Forensics