Controller Area Network (CAN) Interfaces
NI-CAN Features in
Connector
Measurement & Automation Explorer
PCI-CAN and PXI-846x interfaces have a 9-pin male D-Sub (DB9)
Test Panel
connector for each port. The 9-pin D-Sub connector follows the pinout
You can communicate with a specific CAN channel without recommended by CiA DS 102. Figure 2 shows the 9-pin D-Sub
programming using Test Panel, a simple debugging tool to experiment connector pinout for high-speed and low-speed/fault-tolerant
with CAN channels. Using a graphical interface, the tool reads CAN interfaces. PCMCIA-CAN cables have both a 9-pin male D-Sub and
data in engineering units and plots or writes to the device.
Combicon-style pluggable screw terminal connector for each port.1
1As shown in Figure 3 on page 4.
Bus Monitor
Note: See the NI CAN hardware and software reference manual for pinouts for single-wire
and software-selectable interfaces.
To quickly monitor all CAN bus traffic, use the Bus Monitor, a utility
that provides an easy-to-use interface to view all CAN traffic and log
it to disk. It also provides options to control, display, and view
bus statistics.
CAN Device Simulator
The National Instruments CAN Device Simulator, when
communicating with NI CAN and data acquisition (DAQ) hardware
NI Spy
NI Spy gives you an easy way to monitor the NI-CAN API calls your on a PC, provides a tool to demonstrate the concepts of CAN
application makes without having to recompile or rebuild. Use it to communication, DAQ, and CAN/DAQ synchronization.
verify that your application is working properly, troubleshoot
The NI CAN Device Simulator has a function generator, one high-
problems with your application, or verify the communication with speed CAN interface, one high-speed CAN monitor connector, a
your CAN device. NI Spy dynamically captures and displays all 68-pin DAQ connector, access to the DAQ interface TRIG1, TRIG2,
NI-CAN API calls made by any applications running in the system.
and FREQOUT pins, and digital input switches.
Physical Layer
The CAN physical layer connects the CAN controller to the physical
bus wires. The boards contain the PCI and PXI physical layers. They are
powered internally (from the boards) via a DC-DC converter,
and optically isolated up to 500 V. This isolation protects your
NI-CAN hardware and the PC it is installed in from being damaged by
high-voltage spikes on the CAN bus.
For PCMCIA-CAN cards, the physical layer is implemented inside
the cable. The cables can be powered either internally (from the host
computer) via an onboard DC-DC converter, or externally (from the
CAN bus) via a voltage regulator. PCMCIA-CAN physical layer cables
are included with PCMCIA interfaces.
Figure 1. NI CAN Device Simulator
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