CAN diagnostic and solutions

CANcheck, canAnalyser, PCAN-Diag FD & Co: Diagnosing and resolving physical faults on the CAN bus to prevent system failures.

APPLICABLE PRODUCTS

canAnalyser, CANcheck, PCAN-Diag FD, PCAN-Diag 2, PCAN-MiniDiag FD.

ISSUE / QUESTION / SYMPTOM

Problem – Why take action? CAN bus issues are costly:

• Delayed commissioning  
• Returns and complaints
• Sporadic system failures
• Production downtimes
• Safety risks and accidents.
   

POSSIBLE CAUSES / ANSWER

Typical Causes – What’s Behind It? Physical Causes of CAN Errors:
 

Wiring & Cabling:

• Incorrect cable (e.g. not 120 Ohm impedance, too small cross-section, not twisted)
• Incorrect wiring (CAN_H, CAN_L, CAN_GND, CAN_Shield)
• Poor grounding (e.g. missing reference point, potential differences, CAN_Shield not grounded on one side)

Topology Errors:

• Faulty CAN topology (e.g. long stubs)
• Incorrect CAN bus termination (resistor values, placement)

Signal Quality:

• Reflections (e.g. due to open line ends)
• Poor signal edge steepness (e.g. due to capacitive load)
• Poor signal levels
• Electrical interference (e.g. EMC, induced disturbances)

Defective Hardware:

• Faulty CAN transceivers

ADDITIONAL INFO

Analysis & Diagnosis – How to Identify the Problem?

Products for Preventive CAN Diagnosis:

• USB-to-CAN V2 (PCIe-CAN Interface Cards):
  Robust interface for PC-based CAN communication and CAN diagnostics.
• canAnalyser V3 mini (free):
  Entry-level tool for CAN monitoring and detection of CAN error frames.
  Note: CAN error frames always indicate a physical issue on the CAN bus.
• canAnalyser V3 Lite / Standard:
  Advanced analysis features (filters, signal module, replay modules, CANopen modules).
• CANcheck:
  Testing of wiring, termination, CAN signal levels, and CAN error frames.
• PCAN Diag:
  In-depth analysis of CAN bus issues.

Optimization & Improvement – How to Fix the Problem?

Products for Signal Enhancement & Bus Stabilization:

• CAN Repeater & FO-CAN Repeater:
  CAN signal improvement, galvanic isolation, star topology support, distribution of capacitive load.
• CANbridge NT:
  CAN signal improvement, galvanic isolation, star topology, capacitive load distribution, CAN bus extension, message filtering, message routing.
• CAN@net NT:
  CAN signal improvement, galvanic isolation, star topology, capacitive load distribution, CAN bus extension, message filtering, message routing, monitoring.

Service & Support – Who Can Help?

• Technical consulting & support
• On-site diagnostics & training
• Assistance with commissioning & troubleshooting

Customer Benefits – What’s in It for Me?

• Avoidance of failures
• Faster commissioning
• Increased system availability
• Long-term reliability
• Cost savings through prevention

Next Steps – What’s Next?

• Free consultation
• On-site or remote CAN bus check
• Customized offer for devices & support

© HMS Networks AB 2022