DirectLink doesn't say what criteria is used to determine the braking current. It will work with many late model vehicles but use different inputs selecting what is available. They want to keep it proprietary, so I wouldn't want to buy a high priced controller with no information on how it operates. It plugs into the vehicle computer but that is all they will tell you. My guess is that it monitors the slowing of the vehicle when the brake lights are on and activates the trailer brakes in proportion to that slowing. Again, I have no real information but that is my thought. If the controller has no driver input, like a pressure sensor, then it may act the same as cheap accelerometer controllers but have some advantage because it can monitor speed.