PCAN Explorer V5 - CAN Bus Analyser and Exerciser

PCAN-Explorer_5

The PCAN-Explorer program provides a flexible Windows program showing what is happening on the CAN bus  and for controlling and interacting with CAN systems.  It can be used for debugging the system or as a program to interact with and drive a CAN application.  Explorer has a simple Macro language for those "quick and dirty" test we all make but don't admit to, as well as a full interface to VBScript that makes it suitable for detailed testing of CAN units and for sophisticated control and data acquisition.  Its capabilities can be extended with PEAK supplied options such as: reading in CANdb descriptor files, detailed graphing, Mimic type instrument panels and working with a fully J1939 compliant database. Users can even produced their own add-ins that fully control almost all aspects of Explorers operation and displays.

Peak have created an excellent set of Video Tutorials which can be found   here   feel free to browse them in any order you wish but we will link to them in our description of Explorer by showing a Video[link]  for example  Video[Receiving and Transmitting CAN Messages]

Performance

• The package uses a project structure so that all the settings, layouts, message descriptions and displays for a particular CAN module, application or set of tests are held together.
• When running the display shows received messages in a receiving list containing message ID, length and data bytes, time since last message and number of times that message has been received.   Video[Receiving and Transmitting CAN Messages]
• Filters can limit the range ( to just one or two message IDs if required) so simplifying analysis
• Watch windows can be defined to display signals. ( see bottom right window in the above display)
• Explorer can work over multiple CAN interfaces and networks simultaneously and for each network it shows: status, bit rate, error rates, bus load and max bus load this session.
• Any number of messages can be put into transmit lists to be sent either manually with a mouse, from function keys, or at fixed intervals, or as the answer to a remote-frame request. These transmit lists can be saved and restored to simplify setting up particular test configurations.

Message decoding 

• Each CAN message ID can be given a unique name (eg. ECU1) which is then used in place of the ID when messages are logged making complex systems easy to debug. Video[Creating a Symbol File with the Symbol Editor]
• When displayed, if the data layout is known, the data can be decoded and split up into separate components for display in easily read forms
     - groups of bits can be translated to descriptive states ie. showing either of these messages:  "SW1 = ON"   or   "SW1 = OFF"
     - Integer signals can be shown in decimal or hex  Video[Applying Symbols to CAN Messages]
     - Floating point signals can be scaled and an offset added before they are displayed allowing conversion into real units
     - A wide range of data types, including float IEEE754, INTEL and MOTOROLA format are available
     - For an example of the way message data is split into components by the Symbol Editor see the examples in the J1939 option.
• .When decoding message layouts multiplexing (where part of the data indicates which of a number of different message formats is in use) is supported.  Video[Multiplexed CAN Data]
• Watch windows allow you to monitor individual signals and groups of signals Video[Monitoring Signals via the Watch Window]

Data logger functions  Multiple independent traces can be run at the same time message IDs of interest and their data values and time tags are logged The traces can use linear or ring buffers, or be dynamic Errors can be logged There are flexible facilities to save logged data in text form compatible with Excel User selection of logging - all messages, a filtered subset or by specifying an unlimited number of individual message IDs.  Multiple Strip chart recordings of up to four signals can be displayed.

Automation 

• An internal macro language allows simple sequences of CAN messages to be generated. 
• For more complex applications the VBScript language can be used to test or simulate CAN drivers. 
• VBScripts can even be run in the background without displaying the Explorer windows interface
• Add-ins ( written in C++, VB or Borland) allow the users to automate tasks in PCAN Explorer by adding commands to perform these tasks, adding toolbar buttons to carry out these commands, and by responding to PCAN Explorer events.

Explorer as a Debugging Tool

Explorer will run on a lap-top with a CAN interface to non-intrusively view the events on the CAN bus.  If you are developing a CAN C+/C++ or VB application that is running on a PC, you do not need to buy a second CAN interface in order to use Explorer to test the application.  It can run, in its own window, on the same PC and the PEAK drivers will pass the data to Explorer as well as to and from your application.

• The latest release is Explorer v5 which works with Windows 7(32/64)/Vista/XP  and all PEAK CAN interfaces

Explorer options

J1939 compliant database: The SAE J1939 network protocol defines a set of standard CAN message IDs and data layouts that may be used on the CAN bus of a utility vehicle for the transmission of diagnostics data and control information. It contains a complete network definition using 29-bit CAN-IDs (CAN 2.0B Extended Frame). The J1939 add-in for PCAN-Explorer 5 supports all definitions established by the standard’s parameter groups and provides a simple means of displaying and accessing the parameters. Support for all functions of the SAE J1939 network protocol CAN messages may be sent in broadcast form or targeted to individual control units (ECUs) Addressing of up to 254 ECUs Supports multi-packet messages A complete database of all the definitions and the parameters contained is supplied. There is a Video[Working with the J1939 Protocol] on the Peak site which shows how the symbols defined in the specification can be imported into your project.             The Receive window shows how, when the data is collected, the individual elements of the EEC2 message are processed to show the symbols such as RoadSpeedLimitStatus displayed as alphanumeric strings, "Active" in this case, or as values - E.g. AcceleratorPedalPosition1 is at 70% of its travel.   The project window shows how the data in messages such as AAI with message ID defined by the spec as 1CFE8CFEh consists of components  showing the Auxiliary Temperatures, Pressures and Relative Humidity Right clicking the J1939 Database and selecting "Open in Symbol Editor" then selecting AAI gives the screen on the right.  It shows how each of the components are packed into the message, their data types, offsets, scaling and the data length
Enhanced Plotter: More powerful than the 4 channel plotter included with Explorer, this module allows unlimited numbers of channels and multiple Y axes as well as much greater control of scales and layout.  Running in real time, dynamic X and Y axis zooming is possible even while collecting data and multiple cursors may be defined to allow complex relationships to be measured. Data saved by the Trace can be imported for replay and the resulting image can be exported in a range of image formats.       CANdb Import: Enables CANdb descriptions to be imported into Explorer and used as message layout definitions.  Layouts defined within Explorer can also be exported in CANdb format.

Trace & Re-play your Messages

The PCAN-Trace program can be used on its own to record and log CAN messages but its major attribute is that it can then play them back via the CAN interface so you can repeat the sequence of messages recorded in the field, later in the Lab, in real-time.  Breakpoints can be added and if required you can single step through the data.  Once all the data is re-played you can set it to stop or to repeat continuously.  The data record format is compatible with PCAN-View and PCAN-Explorer and is text based so you can edit both messages and scheduled times as you wish.