How to create a CAN database files(*.dbc)? To be possible inport it in MAX?

[etrigo@embraer.com.br]

I would like to create a database including all I have about CAN data(names, IDs, ranges, etc).

[JoshuaP]

In MAX you can load and save Channel Configurations. This is pretty useful if you have a system setup on one machine and you want to port it over to another system. All you have to do is configure all of your messages and channels in MAX. Then right-click on the CAN Channels and click Save Channel Configuration. This will store the information in a *.ncd file that can be loaded on other NI systems.

However, if you want to create your own *.dbc file you will have to purchase an editor. There are a few companies that have free trial periods that allow you to create the files as well.

I hope this helps out.

JoshuaP
National Instruments

[etrigo@embraer.com.br]

Thanks JoshuaP,

But I keep lost, I don´t know how creat it, I don´t know companies names or some thing like this.

Is there NI some tool to creat it? I have many doubts like whats the format(fields, columns,etc) of a expected file?

My doubts is about basic issues of creation and operation modes.

Best Regards,

etrigo.

[dhuff]

The *.dbc that NI is referring to is a CANalyzer database file, the CANalyzer *.dbc file is very common for most of their software products. You ususally use the CANdb++ tool to build the data. CANalyzer is available from www.vector-cantech.com
The company has a demo available, but otherwise you need to buy it. The company also has a Labview add-on library available, but you have to pay for it also.
Many different companies have probably figured a way to reverse engineer the .dbc file to generate it from Labview, without using the CANdb program, but they probably will NOT share it, simply because of the nature of the data involved.

[RichElswick]

Hi Josh,

When you say:
" In MAX you can load and save Channel Configurations. This is pretty useful if you have a system setup on one machine and you want to port it over to another system. All you have to do is configure all of your messages and channels in MAX. Then right-click on the CAN Channels and click Save Channel Configuration. This will store the information in a *.ncd file that can be loaded on other NI systems."

Are you talking about the Channels set in the Init.vi for CAN?  Should I set the target file to the .ncd file instead of the .dbc file?

I am using this interactive tutorial as an example, which isn't very helpfull.

Thanks,
Rich

[biker2000]

Hi Rich,

The CAN Init and the CAN InitStart VIs (as well as the CAN Get Names VI) can process both, .ncd files as well as .dbc files. So, if you reference the database file with the channel configuration, you don’t have to ‘convert’ the .dbc file to an .ncd file.
You only need to import an existing .dbc file into MAX, if you

• Want the system (the NI-CAN driver) to convert the CAN data into channel without referencing another file.
• Want to make use of the test panels in MAX (My System » Data Neighborhood » CAN Channels » Message_xyz » Channel_abc: right-click and select ‘Test Panel’).
• Edit or modify the channel configuration.
  

I hope this clarifies this a little bit.

-B2k

[RichElswick]

I found what I was looking for in an Example VI in the CAN Advanced.llb file.

It allows you to select the .dbc file and then view the decoded CAN value being recieved.  Works well, now if I can just write an app for it.

Thanks for the help all.

Rich Elswick

[Dasylab User]

Hi Rich,

I am following a similar route. Q. Where did you find the file "Advanced.lld"?

Have looked on the NICAN-2 support CD (V2.1.3) and can't seem to find it. Perhaps I'm not looking hard enough.....or in the wrong place!

Thanks & Regards,

Paul Towle.

Senior Engineer,

Luk Leamington Ltd.

[biker2000]

Hi Paul,

I believe that Rich meant the 'Channel - Advanced.llb' file. It contains the 'Create Message with Waveform Input.vi' example. That example gets installed with the LabVIEW features and was also part of NI-CAN 2.1.3.

-B2k

[RichElswick]

Yes, it is the .llb file, which came with the Examples.

On another note, I spoke with Chris Washington about using this app and the TaskReferenceIDs to write my own app, where I can have the values going to gages and being hard coded, verse selectable.  He mentioned selecting the wire and changing it to a constant, although I haven't had a chance to test this out yet.  Hopefully I will get back to working on it soon.