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How to Send and Receive CAN Bus Messages

Send and receive CAN bus messages using Profinity's built-in CAN tools.

Prerequisites

  • Profinity V2 installed and running
  • CAN bus adapter connected and active
  • User privileges to send/receive CAN messages
  • Active profile with adapter configured

Steps

Step 1: Enable User Privileges

  1. Navigate to ADMIN → Users
  2. Select your user account
  3. Ensure Send CAN Messages privilege is enabled
  4. Ensure Receive CAN Messages privilege is enabled
  5. Click Save

Step 2: Open the Send & Receive CAN Window

  1. Click on SEND & RECEIVE CAN in the menu
  2. The CAN Activity window will open
  3. You'll see all CAN messages currently on the network

Step 3: View Received CAN Messages

The CAN Activity panel shows:

  • CAN ID: Message identifier
  • Data: Message data bytes
  • Direction: Incoming or outgoing
  • Count: Number of times message was seen
  • Time: Timestamp of last message

View Options: - Spaced Data: Breaks data into individual hex bytes (default: on) - Heatmap: Highlights frequently changing bytes in warm colours (default: on)

Step 4: Filter and Sort Messages

  1. Click column headers to sort by that column
  2. Use filters to show specific CAN IDs or data patterns
  3. Click on a message to see details

Step 5: Add a Scheduled CAN Packet

  1. Click the + icon in the Scheduled CAN Packets panel (bottom of window)
  2. Or double-click a message in the CAN Activity panel and click +

Step 6: Configure the CAN Packet

  1. CAN ID: Enter the CAN message ID (hex or decimal)
  2. Endian: Select byte order (default: little endian)
  3. Data Format: Choose how to enter data:
  4. Bytes: Enter individual byte values
  5. Int16: Enter 16-bit integer values
  6. Int32: Enter 32-bit integer values
  7. Floats: Enter floating-point values

  8. Raw Data: Enter raw hex data

  9. Interval (ms): Set how often to send (e.g., 100ms = 10 times per second)

  10. Leave blank for manual send only

Step 7: Enter Message Data

Example - Entering Bytes: - Byte 0: 0x01 - Byte 1: 0x02 - Byte 2: 0x03 - Raw data updates automatically

Example - Entering Int16: - Int16[0]: 1234 - Int16[1]: 5678 - Values are converted to bytes automatically

Step 8: Save the Packet

  1. Click Save to add packet to scheduled list
  2. Packet appears in Scheduled CAN Packets panel
  3. If interval is set, packet starts sending automatically

Step 9: Send Packet Manually (if not scheduled)

  1. Select the packet in Scheduled CAN Packets panel
  2. Click the Send arrow button
  3. Or select the packet and press Space key
  4. Packet is sent immediately

Step 10: Verify Packet Transmission

  1. Check the CAN Activity panel
  2. Your sent message should appear with outgoing direction
  3. Verify the CAN ID and data match your configuration

Managing Scheduled Packets

Stop a Scheduled Packet

  1. Select the packet in Scheduled CAN Packets panel
  2. Delete the interval value or delete the packet
  3. Packet stops sending

Edit a Scheduled Packet

  1. Select the packet in Scheduled CAN Packets panel
  2. Click Edit or double-click
  3. Modify settings
  4. Click Save

Delete a Scheduled Packet

  1. Select the packet in Scheduled CAN Packets panel
  2. Click Delete or press Delete key
  3. Packet is removed from schedule

Tips

  • Test First: Send packets manually before scheduling
  • Monitor Activity: Watch CAN Activity panel to see your messages
  • Check Bitrate: Ensure CAN ID and data format match network expectations
  • Use Heatmap: Heatmap helps identify active messages
  • Save Packets: Scheduled packets are saved in your profile

Important Notes

  • Scheduled Packets Continue: Scheduled packets continue sending even after logging off
  • Profile-Based: Scheduled packets are saved with your profile
  • Manual Restart: Packets don't auto-start after profile change or restart

Troubleshooting

Packet Not Sending: - Check adapter is connected (green status) - Verify user has send privileges - Check CAN ID is valid - Ensure interval is set or use manual send

Packet Not Appearing in Activity: - Check filters aren't hiding your message - Verify adapter is receiving traffic - Check CAN bus bitrate matches

Wrong Data Format: - Verify endian setting matches your system - Check data format conversion (bytes vs. integers) - Review raw data to confirm values