CAN modules

NI C Series Module makes portable CAN-based measurement and logging systems possible

National Instruments has announced the NI 9862 C Series high-speed controller area network (CAN) module, the newest addition to the NI-XNET family of high-performance interfaces designed to communicate with embedded networks. The module expands the NI-XNET family to the NI CompactDAQ and CompactRIO hardware platforms and introduces CAN support to NI CompactDAQ. The NI 9862 provides sustained transfer rates up to 1 Mbit/s and includes similar advantages of other NI-XNET PCI and PXI interfaces including hardware-accelerated messaging, onboard frame processing and communication with 100 percent bus loads without dropped frames.

The NI CompactDAQ platform provides portable CAN communication with the availability of 4- and 8-slot USB or Ethernet chassis. NI CompactDAQ is compatible with more than 50 other NI C Series I/O modules, and the NI 9862 high-speed CAN module can be synchronized with other I/O modules in the same chassis. The modular nature of NI CompactDAQ, combined with its seamless integration with NI LabVIEW graphical programming software, increases ease of use and facilitates a faster time-to-measurement solution.

CAN is recognized as the standard in-vehicle automotive network and used in a variety of other industries including public transportation, avionics, farm/forest machinery, medical devices, military systems and industrial automation. Using the new module, engineers can develop applications including the following:
· In-vehicle networks monitoring and logging
· Portable ECU calibration
· In-vehicle diagnostics (monitoring and logging)
· Device validation with synchronized DAQ

The NI-XNET family offers a common programming interface for multiple automotive networks such as CAN, LIN and FlexRay. With NI-XNET interfaces, engineers can develop applications for prototyping, simulating and testing these networks faster and more easily in LabVIEW and LabVIEW Real-Time software as well as ANSI C/C++. The interfaces combine the performance and flexibility of low-level microcontroller interfaces with the speed and power of Windows and LabVIEW Real-Time OS development. They also can be easily integrated into desktop real-time PCs and real-time PXI systems. The NI-XNET CAN interfaces include integrated database support for importing, editing and using frames and signals from FIBEX, .DBC and .NCD files. In addition, the CAN module also includes intuitive software tools and APIs to accelerate development efforts, and the same code can be used across PXI, PCI, NI CompactDAQ (USB and Ethernet) and CompactRIO hardware systems for additional time savings. This advantage makes it possible for engineers to standardize their CAN applications for a variety of settings and application areas.

Engineers also can use the module with the CompactRIO platform and conduct rapid prototyping more easily using a common programming interface comparable to other NI-XNET CAN interfaces such as PCI and PXI. Additionally, the module has a native, built-in functionality for common CAN communication applications in NI VeriStand, an out-of-the-box software solution for configuring real-time testing applications such as hardware-in-the-loop testing and test cell applications