CAN-FD Decoding - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: diilettante
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 30, 2022, 11:08:33 pm
content: I am going to have to work on a project with CAN-FD-SIC, so I thought I'd ask here: which is the cheapest oscilloscope that can be "persuaded" to decode CAN-FD?

author: ADT123
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2022, 05:46:47 am
content: All PicoScope USB scopes can decode CAN & also CAN FD seehttps://www.picotech.com/library/oscilloscopes/can-bus-serial-protocol-decoding. SIC (Signal Improvement Capability) helps improve the reliability by reducing signal ringing but has no impact on decoding so you only need to choose a scope with CAN FD decoding.Best to ensure you choose a scope with several MB of memory in order to allow decoding of long captures of data. I would go for at least the PicoScope 2206B from this tablehttps://www.picotech.com/products/oscilloscope-specifications

author: JPortici
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2022, 06:11:27 am
content: There are many scopes that can decode CAN-FD, the cheapest Picoscope can.However, once you don't have signalling issues you have to put the scope away and grab a protocol analyzer (from kvaser,peak,vector, ...)yes they cost more money than the scope but are the required tool for the job, because things happen at a higher level than what an oscilloscope can show you. With the bus analyzer you only see the content of the bus, with the tools you can decode frames on the fly, plot graphs, generate frames to simulate nodes.

author: diilettante
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 01, 2022, 10:24:41 pm
content: It is a new project, moving from FlexRay and CAN to CAN-FD-SIC, CAN-FD and CAN. First prototype hardware arriving soon, a number of controllers and intelligent sensors and actuators. First few days and weeks will be when the scope and decoder will come in handy, once the Physical and Data layer are sorted, it's off to Vector and dSPACE tools.I have a Rigol DS1000Z that I can use for simple analysis at physical level, but I have been thinking of buying a new scope, so might as well have something with the Automotive protocol decoding. PicoScope is not my favourite, as it uses screen real-estate, needs a PC, and I want something separate from the main screen. What is the cheapest bench scope that can be coerced into decoding CAN FD? Cheapest Rigol that mentions CAN FD is MSO8000, unless MSO5000 and MSO7000 can too, but I only found references to standard CAN in their user manuals. Siglent SDS2000X-Plus seems to be able to do it, and it has extra incentives… Anything else that might work?

author: DC1MC
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2022, 11:03:46 pm
content: Quote from: diilettante on November 01, 2022, 10:24:41 pmAs others have said, once you get over the physical layer issues (if any), all but the most expensive scopes are more or less useless, you need to get a proper frame analyzer, the Picoscope is the favorite of the car guys, I knew one that resin glued his PicoScope 3403D on the lid of his Toshiba Tecra Z40-A (and proudly shows me that in his workshop it occupies way less space than a classical scope, also these are pretty sturdy devices, a drop from the bench, or the car engine bay, will not destroy them, do this to a Siglent and see it become dust), also there is a shit load of related software and community around them, from researchers and modders to mechanics.If, on the other hand, you're mostly lab based and dislike Picos and want a more classical scope approach, the Siglent + a good frame analyzer is as good as you can get for little money, higher than this and you're entering the Rhodes and Keysights territory and that means $$$$$$$$$$$....Cheers,DC1MC

author: JPortici
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2022, 07:19:52 pm
content: Yeah, picoscope is by far the cheapest that can support FD

author: diilettante
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 22, 2022, 11:41:28 pm
content: I acquired a Siglent SDS2104X Plus on offer, with all the serial decoders thrown in, as well as the MSO option with the heavily discounted probe. It came out cheaper than a PicoScope, and I am very pleased. I like it better than the Rigol that I have.

author: Elmue
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 21, 2025, 12:12:57 pm
content: You don't need a specific oscilloscope model for this.All you need is an oscilloscope that can connect to a computer over USB.Then you use the open source softwareOszi Waveform Analyzerto transfer the capture to the computer and to decode CAN bus data.It fully implements UART, I2C, SPI, CAN classic, CAN FD decoders.CAN FD has full error detection implemented: Timing errors, Stuffbit errors, Parity bit errors, CRC errors.Here you see the CAN FD baudrate switch from 500 kBaud to 2M baud.You must enter the correct samplepoint which is crucial for CAN FD decoding.Download and detailed description here:https://netcult.ch/elmue/Oszi-Waveform-Analyzer/________________________________________________________________________And in case you don't have communication errors, you don't need an oscilloscope at all.UseHUD ECU Hackerwhich connects to your CAN bus over multiple cheap adapters ($20 US) and does a full analysis of CAN Raw or ISO 15765 or J1939 traffic. You can also send packets to the CAN bus manually and you can write your own macro scripts that receive, send and decode CAN bus packets.Download and detailed description here:https://netcult.ch/elmue/HUD%20ECU%20Hacker/

author: faraday
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2025, 02:56:40 pm
content: Do you need oscilloscope? You can use CAN Hacker they have CAN FD logger