Ixxat CANnector – The Swiss army knife for CAN

 

HMS Networks introduces Ixxat® CAN connector, a flexible solution for logging, bridging and expansion of a series of CAN networks, including access to the Cloud. In addition to the existing CAN @ net NT (CAN-to-Ethernet and cloud) and CANbridge NT (CAN-to-CAN) series, CANnector offers new possibilities and applications by combining and extending the functionality of the NT series . Where the NT series have 1 to 4 CAN channels, the CAN connector comes with 6 or 8 CAN channels, of course all galvanically isolated. The device is therefore extremely suitable for complex CAN topology solutions, as a CAN-to-Cloud gateway or as a measuring instrument to analyze CAN networks remotely and / or over a longer period of time. Thanks to its compatibility with other Ixxat devices.

A flexible all-rounder – logger, bridge and range extender

CANnector works independently and is configured via a PC. To help users get started, we offer, in addition to a generic version, the device with three different configurations:

CAN connector Range – Direct intended for the exchange of CAN data over Ethernet, for example to other CAN connectors, CAN @ net NTs or to PCs or Server environments.

CANnector Bridge – Exchange of exactly the desired information between different CAN 2.0A, 2.0B or FD CAN networks mutually, including data manipulation.

CAN connector Log – Data logger with trigger and ring buffer for storing the desired CAN messages on USB memory. However, the data can also be delivered in the cloud, towards any desired cloud storage. CAN connector has a sleep mode to prevent the battery from discharging and can be reactivated via CAN.

These configurations can be easily modified, overwritten, combined or exchanged using the supplied Configuration software to achieve the typically desired functionality. All functions can be performed simultaneously on the device, so that, for example, data logging and CAN (FD) bridging and data visualization on mobile devices can be performed side by side.

High performance and versatile

Thanks to a powerful Linux platform, CANnector is able to execute complex applications and data manipulations directly on the device. The support of DBC files also makes it possible to work at signal level. By using ‘Wake-up on CAN’ and the option to disable the CAN TX function, the device can be used in applications that are battery powered or where the (measurement) system is absolutely not allowed to use the CAN channels. to influence.

CANnector is available in different hardware versions, with a specific set of supported interfaces. The maximum number of interfaces is 8x CAN (FD), 2x LIN, 2x Digital I / O and 1x EtherCAT slave interface, as well as Ethernet and USB. The EtherCAT slave interface is implemented with an Anybus® CompactCom technology from HMS, which means that other Industrial Ethernet protocols can also be supported in the future. USB extensions such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth are available as options.

Cloud and PLC connection

Ixxat CANnector offers numerous additional functions, enabling, for example, live data visualization and simulation using mobile devices (smartphone or tablet) via Wi-Fi, or cloud connectivity via OPC-UA, MQTT or via HMS Hub ™ – HMS’s proprietary solution for industrial data connectivity.

The EtherCAT slave interface provides CAN connector for a direct connection of CAN (FD) -based networks with industrial Ethernet networks or a PLC.

Simple configuration via drag & drop

HMS offers a free Windows tool with which CANnector can be easily configured, whereby the ‘connections’ between source and target are made with a Drag and Drop concept. CAN (FD) bus descriptions can optionally be imported for configuration. The standard number of functions can be expanded with the help of the integrated development and debug environment and proprietary C user code or Matlab / Simulink models, which can be executed directly on the device.

More information about CANnector can be found at www.ixxat.com

B&P2024