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CAN, SAE J1939, and NMEA 2000 Development with Raspberry Pi and PiCAN HATs
The Raspberry Pi has evolved far beyond its origins as an educational computer. Today, it serves as a powerful platform for industrial automation, vehicle networking, marine electronics, telematics, data logging, and rapid embedded systems prototyping. When combined with the PiCAN family of Raspberry Pi HATs available from Copperhill Technologies, the Raspberry Pi becomes a versatile CAN [...]
ESP32 TWAI Driver Explained: A Practical Guide to CAN Bus Programming
The ESP32 has become one of the most popular microcontrollers for CAN bus applications. Whether you are building industrial controllers, SAE J1939 devices, NMEA 2000 products, robotics systems, or automotive prototypes, the ESP32 provides a powerful and cost-effective platform with a built-in CAN controller. Yet, many developers are confused when they encounter the term TWAI in [...]
ESP32S3 CAN & LIN-Bus Board – Accelerating CAN-to-LIN Gateway Development
Modern vehicles and industrial machines increasingly rely on multiple communication networks. While CAN Bus serves as the backbone for critical control systems, LIN (Local Interconnect Network) provides a low-cost solution for intelligent sensors, switches, actuators, and body electronics. In many applications, engineers need a reliable method to exchange data between these two networks. The ESP32S3 CAN [...]
Why CAN Bus Refuses to Die: What CAN FD and CAN XL Reveal About the Strength of Classical CAN
For more than 25 years, I have been working with CAN (Controller Area Network) technology. During that time, I have lost count of how many times industry experts, analysts, and technology journalists predicted its imminent demise. First, it was Ethernet. Then came FlexRay. Later, it was Automotive Ethernet. More recently, CAN FD and now CAN XL have been presented [...]
CANPico V2 with Pico WH Pre-Installed: Powerful CAN Bus Development in an Ultra-Compact Form Factor
When developing CAN Bus applications, engineers often face a familiar challenge: balancing processing power, development speed, hardware complexity, and physical size. The CANPico V2 with Raspberry Pi Pico WH pre-installed solves all four challenges in a remarkably compact package. Combining the powerful Raspberry Pi Pico WH with a sophisticated CAN interface, the CANPico V2 provides an [...]
Building NMEA 2000 Devices Has Never Been Easier: Meet the Teensy 4.0 with IPS LCD and NMEA 2000 Connector
Developing NMEA 2000 devices often involves a frustrating combination of custom hardware, display integration, network connectivity, and endless testing. Many engineers and hobbyists spend more time wiring components together than actually developing their applications. The Teensy 4.0 with NMEA 2000 Connector and 240×240 IPS LCD changes that equation completely. By combining a powerful microcontroller, integrated NMEA [...]
Monitoring OBD-II Data Traffic with Raspberry Pi and PiCAN2: A Smart Platform for Vehicle Diagnostics Development
Modern vehicles generate a tremendous amount of diagnostic information through their onboard networks. Whether you're an automotive engineer, software developer, fleet manager, researcher, or simply an enthusiast interested in vehicle data, monitoring OBD-II traffic can provide valuable insights into engine performance, fuel economy, emissions systems, and much more. One of the most practical and cost-effective ways [...]
SAE J1939, CAN Bus, and Embedded Networking — All in One Place
If you work with heavy-duty vehicles, mobile machinery, marine systems, or industrial equipment, chances are you have encountered SAE J1939. Whether you are developing embedded firmware, integrating third-party ECUs, or troubleshooting complex vehicle networks, reliable information and robust tools are essential. That is exactly why we created jcom1939.com. A Dedicated Platform for J1939 Engineering JCOM1939.com was designed as [...]
NMEA 2000 Explained: A Practical Guide to CAN Bus Marine Networking
Modern marine electronics rely on NMEA 2000, a standardized CAN-based network that allows engines, sensors, displays, navigation systems, and monitoring devices to communicate over a single, shared backbone. Instead of point-to-point wiring, NMEA 2000 uses a robust two-wire CAN bus to distribute data efficiently and reliably across the vessel. While powerful and flexible, this technology [...]
Why CAN and LIN Need to Communicate in Modern Vehicles
At first glance, it may seem odd that a vehicle would use two different network technologies—CAN (Controller Area Network) and LIN (Local Interconnect Network)—and even stranger that they need to communicate with each other. After all, why not use one network everywhere and avoid the complexity? The truth is that both CAN and LIN exist because [...]