CANopen software for NI CAN interfaces

[Mads]

For anyone using CAN interfaces from NI there is now a very easy way to get started with CANopen, one that is especially suited for subsea use (aka SIIS Level 2 / device profile CiA-443😞 ClampOn CAN Monitor. It might also be a good inspiration for people trying to develop their own CANopen solutions for NI hardware as it demonstrated many of the possible functions and can be installed as a trial version for quite some time...

We're working on setting up a community for this software too, which might also become a good place to discuss subsea related topics like CiA-443, Cia-309.3 etc. - but the rules for groups here at ni.com is under change so it seems to be a longer road than first expected to get such a group up and running. Hopefully it should be up soon though, and we'll be able to provide support there, not just for the software, but for a community of developers using NI hardware and/or LabVIEW and working with CANopen.

[ThreeLions]

Hello MTO,

In terms of the OSI model, CANopen implements the layers above and including the network layer and its lower level protocol implementing the data link and physical layers is CAN. Likewise, all CAN interfaces from NI can support CAN protocol and other protocols that based on CAN. For example, CANopen Reference Example for the NI-9853 C-Series CAN Module shown how to use NI-9853 to perform CANopen work.

Sorry to say I am unfamiliar with the ClampOn CAN Monitor. But I think it should work independent of the NI-CAN or NI-XNET driver, and it can parse the message as long as there are data on the bus, is it right? If so, we can use this software to monitor any CAN data which includes CANopen, DeviceNet, etc.

Thanks!

[Mads]

Hi,

CAN Monitor is  not independent of the CAN driver. It is currently based on NI-CAN, but supports XNET through the compaibility layer.

ClampOn CAN MOnitor is in many ways the (until now) missing "NI" equivalent to IXXAT's Device Manager (and analyser tools) for interfaces from IXXAT. So if you have been using IXXAT because of their Device Manager software, you now have the option of using NI interfaces instead, and the much more user friendly ClampOn CAN Monitor(!):smileyhappy: Another comparable product for non-NI hardware is PCAN Explorer 6 for hardware from Peak System.

So the main value of CAN Monitor is the high level (CANopen) functionality; for example that it lets you use EDS files to interact with the dictionary of your devices. If you are testing or troubleshooting a device you typically want to trend values from the dictionary. And you typically need to run devices through a series of tests during production and later to demonstrate the functionality to the end-user. CAN Monitor's scripting functionality lets you automate this. As we developed the tool for use with subsea instrumentation it also has some of the CiA-443 specific functionality readily available (an application start button e.g.).