If you want to work with CAN bus, you have several options, you can buy a professional solution with software in the range of thousands to tens of thousands of euros with a license for a year, or you can use a cheap converter with a simple program for logging, displaying messages and the ability to send messages manually. Our PP2CAN program cannot be compared to software costing thousands of euros, but it offers much more than the majority of programs for cheap CAN bus converters. In addition, it is available for free (including updates several per year) with our converters without paying a year license and is not associated with a specific computer.
PP2CAN contains many tools to generate or display data. In this overview we will describe which tool is best to use in which situation.
Sync
This tool is designed to generate data periodically. However, the generation is handled by software. If you need to generate some precise synchronization messages, it is better to use the HW Sync tool. The advantage of the basic Sync tool is the possibility to generate not only periodic data but also a batch of the same message. This is of good practical use if you want to generate large loads on CAN, for example in situations where you want to check if your hardware is able to receive all data from the CAN bus. For this purpose it is also good to use the function Test seq. which generates the sequence number of the message in the first data byte for 100x and 120x bundles.
HW Sync
This tool with a USB2CAN converter and proper firmware or USB2CAN Triple/Combo converter generates messages with very precise timing. The setup can be combined with the Data sender or Bit sender tool to generate variable data with precise period. It is also possible to use the automatic checksum calculation function.
Data sender
If you need to generate a message on the CAN bus in which you need to change the data manually or automatically according to preset waveforms, this tool is suitable for this. The data is generated periodically or on change.
Bit sender
Similar to the previous one, but at bit level.
ASCII sender
In cases where, for example, the CAN protocol is an encapsulation of ASCII commands, or messages contain ASCII data, this tool can be used for generation.
File sender
If the captured CAN data - log/trace - needs to be played back, the records can be played back with this tool. The log can be played back at the rate of the number of messages per given time, or in realtime mode at real speed, accelerated or slowed down. You can also use a filter to set which messages (identifiers) are transmitted and which are not.
Signal sender
Similar to the Data sender but allows the waveform of the data, i.e. the individual values to be set manually. It also allows to use another data length, for example 5 bit data and to specify the position of the data in the CAN message bit by bit. Another useful feature is the possibility to generate up to 4 different data waveforms in one CAN message.
Data generator
Using the EYE (or a DBC file converted to EYE) it is possible to generate data on the CAN and just set the values of the individual variables here.
Enable
The dialog that opens after pressing this button is used to enable several instruments to run simultaneously. For example to run the open Data and Bit sender simultaneously.
Data receiver
This is an older tool for displaying data in a specified CAN message. Now PP2CAN contains more suitable and efficient tools. However, it does contain a Histogram tool which can be used to get a quick overview of the distribution of individual values of a variable.
Bit receiver
The equivalent of the Bit sender, it allows you to visually display the states and changes of bits in a CAN message.
Multi receiver
Data receiver, bit receiver for all data bytes in one.....
ASCII receiver
Opposite of an ASCII sender, quickly displays ASCII characters in a CAN message.
ID Trap
An older tool that allows you to get an overview of which data bytes change in messages, what data lengths and message types (data/rtr) occur on CAN. Currently most of the function is performed by the Grid log tool.
Display
A tool for displaying data, for example operational variables that we want to monitor in the background while working.
Table reader
Reading indexed data into a table (e.g. memory contents) and also writing them. You define the message to read and the format of the response, the length and position of the address - the data index, and the size and position of the value in the response.
Graph
Display the specified messages in the Graph. It is more efficient to use the Data view or Signal receiver tool and open the graph, but this tool supports the 2D graph function - dependency of 2 variables-.
Signal receiver
A tool for displaying decoded variables using an EYE or DBC file. The data can be displayed in a graph. Currently, it is more efficient to use the Data view tool for these situations. However, it does not support some of the features usable in this Signal receiver tool. These are the conversion of CAN communication log data to variables, the export of variables to a file and the Math parser receiver which allows multiple messages to be combined together to calculate variables.
Data view
Comprehensive overview of CAN messages, both sent and received, and display of the decoded variables contained in these messages using the EYE or DBC definition file. Possibility to display selected variables in a graph.
Reply maker
A simple tool that allows to define automatic responses using simple rules to messages received from the CAN bus.
Filtered log
Allows to filter a specific message (or up to 3 messages) that is logged into the window, or to define received messages into the log using a mask or even data bytes, or to filter by port. Both sent and received messages can be logged.
Grid log
Efficient tool displays received messages and shows which data bytes are changing.
Timing accuracy
Measurement of the period and possibly detection and logging of message dropouts - failure to keep the CAN message period.
Log filter
This tool allows you to filter the CAN bus log (trace communication) using rules and get only a specific set of messages.
CAN Script
Scripting language for generating or processing CAN messages and their more complex processing. Possibly for creating control logic, device emulations, etc.
Gateway
A tool for forwarding data between two CAN buses.