CAN bus systems must include the ability to link to a PC. This is for simpler debugging among other things. There are many ways of accomplishing this. The easiest however would be with a CAN Bus USB interface. Our CANUSB merchandise gets the job done in a manner that is not only simple, but relatively cheap too.
A compact dongle
CANUSB is a compact dongle. It plugs into your PC USB port and supplies instantaneous CAN connectivity. What this means is it is possible for it to be treated using software as a regular COM port. This is with FTDI USB drivers, which removes the requirement for additional drivers. You can also install a direct driver DLL alongside a CANUSB DLL for quicker communications. There are higher CAN bus loads as well. Receiving and sending are things you can accomplish in standard ASCII format.
This module plugs into a normal USB port directly. It offers a standard DB9 male output to CAN systems too. From USB, it is self-powered and devours max 100mA. Under normal conditions though it can’t exceed 60mA. This depends on the CAN cable errors and BUS load though. You can employ a RS232 LIB/drivers in addition to a Virtual COM port driver. Alternatively, you can use a Direct driver DLL. It works on Linux, MacOS, and Windows platforms.
You won’t find it difficult to migrate from CAN232 to CANUSB either. There will only be some minor software alterations.
No exterior power
When connecting the CANUSB module, you should know that you don’t need any exterior power. Instead, the it uses SVDC/100mA that originates from USB.
Something else to remember is that you will require 2 CAN nodes in operational mode for CAN to function. Additionally, you will have to properly terminate the CAN network in both ends. Therefore, if you connect CANUSB in the network’s end, you will need to add a single 120ohm resistor close to it. Then, you must add a 120ohm resistor to the network’s other end.
Making applications
CANUSB uses an FTDI USB chip FT245RL. There is also a DLL capable of interfacing with the D2XX DLL from FTDI. The threaded DLL includes Status, Write, Close, and Open functions. This shall make it faster and easier for you to fashion your own applications. You are able to do this quickly without getting into how the D2XX driver works and knowing how to parse commands. Tests performed with VB6 employing this DLL revealed that the CANUSB acts rapidly and has the capacity to receive over 5,000 frames each second. This is without losing any frames.
One detail to remember though is that you are unable to send more than 1,000 messages every second. This is due to the Windows USB driver 1mS time slot. The CANUSB must report back.
You can come to us to order CANUSB
At Kanda, we go above and beyond to make certain that customers walk away with the right products. Of all the ones you could possibly find on the market, ours are the best value too. It won’t be long before you are up and running thanks to our fast delivery and wealth of resources.
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