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How to Connect to CAN Bus

Connect Profinity to your CAN bus network using a supported adapter.

Prerequisites

  • Profinity V2 installed
  • A supported CAN bus adapter (Peak USB, SocketCAN, CAN-Ethernet Bridge, etc.)
  • Adapter drivers installed (if required)
  • Access to create components in Profinity

Steps

Step 1: Install Adapter Drivers (if required)

For Peak USB Adapters: 1. Install the Peak drivers before starting Profinity 2. Use Peak tools to verify the adapter is working 3. Verify the adapter appears in device manager (Windows)

For SocketCAN (Linux/macOS): 1. Ensure SocketCAN is enabled in your kernel 2. Install socketcand if using remote SocketCAN 3. Verify CAN interfaces are available

Step 2: Connect Your Adapter

  1. Connect your CAN bus adapter to your computer
  2. USB adapter: Plug into USB port
  3. Ethernet bridge: Connect to network
  4. SocketCAN: Configure CAN interface
  5. Connect the adapter to your CAN bus network
  6. Verify physical connections are secure

Step 3: Auto-Discover the Adapter

  1. Navigate to the ADD COMPONENT window
  2. Look for the Discovered category
  3. Your adapter should appear in the discovered list
  4. Click on your adapter to add it

If your adapter doesn't appear in the discovered list, proceed to manual configuration.

Step 4: Add Adapter Manually (if needed)

  1. Click ADD COMPONENT in Profinity
  2. Select CAN Bus Adapter or your specific adapter type
  3. Enter adapter details:
  4. Name: Give your adapter a unique name
  5. Type: Select your adapter type
  6. Network Interface: Select the network interface (for Ethernet bridges)
  7. CAN Interface: Select CAN interface (for SocketCAN)
  8. Click Add or Save

Step 5: Configure Adapter Settings

  1. Click on your adapter in the sidebar
  2. Open Change Settings (gear icon)
  3. Configure settings:
  4. Auto Connect: Enable to auto-connect on startup
  5. Allow Loopback Traffic: Enable if needed (Tritium adapters only)
  6. Bitrate: Set CAN bus bitrate (must match network)
  7. Click Save

Step 6: Connect the Adapter

  1. Click the Connect button on your adapter dashboard
  2. Wait for the adapter to connect
  3. Check the status indicator:
  4. Green: Connected and receiving data
  5. Yellow: Connected but no data arriving
  6. Red: Connection error (check logs)
  7. Grey: Not connected

Step 7: Verify Connection

  1. Check that the status indicator turns green
  2. Open the SEND & RECEIVE CAN window
  3. Verify CAN messages are appearing in the activity panel
  4. If no messages appear, check:
  5. CAN bus bitrate matches network
  6. Physical connections are correct
  7. Adapter is properly powered

Troubleshooting

Adapter Not Discovered: - Check adapter is powered and connected - Verify network connectivity (for Ethernet bridges) - Check firewall settings - Verify drivers are installed

No Data Arriving: - Verify CAN bus bitrate matches all devices - Check physical CAN bus connections - Ensure devices on CAN bus are powered - Check adapter status for errors

Connection Errors: - Check adapter logs in Profinity - Verify adapter is not in use by another application - Restart Profinity and try again - Check adapter documentation for specific issues