For the longest time, i.e. since the time we introduced our contactless CAN Bus readers, I had been eager to play with the CANCrocodile and read/monitor CAN Bus data traffic in a truly unique way. The setup, as shown in the above image, took less than 30 minutes to assemble (some soldering was required) and to finally read CAN Bus data.

I used our SAE J1939 Starter Kit And Network Simulator to create some heavy J1939 (CAN Bus) data traffic. The CANCrocodile picks up the data and passes it on to the ADFWeb CAN Analyzer. The CANCrocodile clamps over the CAN Bus data wires (in this example, CAN_H = Red, CAN_L = Yellow), and it is being powered with 12 VDC.

The CANCrocodile was designed for secure and reliable data reading from a vehicle CAN Bus network. The contactless reader can be used for vehicle telematics, GPS tracking systems, and for monitoring various CAN Bus parameters of vehicle operation such as speed, RPM, oil pressure & temperature, fuel volume & consumption, and more.

The data reading takes place without electrical connection and without damaging the CAN Bus wires. CANCrocodile works in “listen-only” mode, i.e., it does not change the original CAN Bus or SAE J1939 messages, and it does not transmit any signals into the CAN Bus.

The above screen shot shows two instances of our JCOM1939 Monitor Software, representing the two SAE J1939 nodes in our Starter Kit network. On the right side, you see the CAN Analyzer screen, reflecting the data as passed on from the CANCrocodile.

• More Information on the CANCorocodile - Contactless CAN Bus Reader...

SAE J1939 Starter Kit And Network Simulator

Our JCOM.J1939 Starter Kit And Network Simulator is designed to allow the experienced engineer as well as the beginner to experiment with SAE J1939 data communication without the need of connecting to a real-world J1939 network, i.e. a diesel engine. It may sound obvious, but in order to establish a network, you need at least two nodes, and that fact applies especially to CAN/J1939 where the CAN controller will basically shut down after transmitting data without receiving a response. For that reason, our jCOM.J1939 Starter Kit And Network Simulator consists of two J1939 nodes, namely our jCOM.J1939.USB, an SAE J1939 ECU Simulator Board With USB Port.

The jCOM.J1939.USB gateway board is a high-performance, low-latency vehicle network adapter for SAE J1939 applications. The board supports the full SAE J1939 protocol according to J1939/81 Network Management (Address Claiming) and J1939/21 Transport Protocol (TP).

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