Any working SocketCAN devices?

[HaskellOffshore]

Anyone have any cheap chinese adapters working? I see a CANable Pro shield, CANET200, and a few other things available. Does look like a simple way to just plug a N2K network into the ships' network.

Anyone else working on this?

Steve

[Hakan]

Worth testing I suppose. (A user comment on AliExpress say's it works for N2k)
I suppose the 5V output can though not feed a N2k bus that's using 12V.
(-"4-pin screw terminal: CANH, CANL, 5v (output), GND"-)

[verkerkbr]

Originally Posted by HaskellOffshore

Anyone have any cheap chinese adapters working? I see a CANable Pro shield, CANET200, and a few other things available. Does look like a simple way to just plug a N2K network into the ships' network.

Anyone else working on this?

Steve

The Canable Pro (optical isolated) and Canable board works very well. You can buy this also from China.

Works bi-directional. Is supported in the SignalK data server. But direct import in OpenCPN is possible. There was a small problem with Canbus in OpenCPN. But this is now solved in the latest OpenCPN versions.

I prefer the Candlelight firmware. But this needs a activation string to get Can0.

A pity is, there is no simple case for the Canable.

You only need the two data lines blue and white of the NMEA2k cable. Power comes from the USB.


Bram

[verkerkbr]

Originally Posted by verkerkbr

The Canable Pro (optical isolated) and Canable board works very well. You can buy this also from China.

Works bi-directional. Is supported in the SignalK data server. But direct import in OpenCPN is possible. There was a small problem with Canbus in OpenCPN. But this is now solved in the latest OpenCPN versions.

I prefer the Candlelight firmware. But this needs a activation string to get Can0.

A pity is, there is no simple case for the Canable.

You only need the two data lines blue and white of the NMEA2k cable. Power comes from the USB.


Bram

This is the Canable board.

[stevead]

Looks like a Chinese version of the Canable board.

The Canable board works well and as Bram said, with the Candlelight firmware offers better performance as a native CAN device rather than a Serial CAN device.

Initialization can be done with udev rules or a bash script.

A pity is, there is no simple case for the Canable.

See attached photo. I can't remember where I found it but you should be able to find the STL files to make this 3D printed case.

[HaskellOffshore]

There's a Canable Z Pro in a box
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003265750126.html

Also a smaller USB item with a plastic case
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003246920397.html

Both devices with isolation..

Ordering one of these https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005655223137.html

[shimari]

Originally Posted by HaskellOffshore

There's a Canable Z Pro in a box
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003265750126.html

Also a smaller USB item with a plastic case
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003246920397.html

Both devices with isolation..

Ordering one of these https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005655223137.html

These look pretty interesting given the CANable is sold out, but the manuals from the ad is in Chinese. Anyone know of an English version?

[verkerkbr]

Originally Posted by shimari

These look pretty interesting given the CANable is sold out, but the manuals from the ad is in Chinese. Anyone know of an English version?

Look at Ali Express. There are plenty of "canable" boards. Some come standard with the Candlelight firmware. You only need to add the following activation to get Can0.


sudo ip link set can0 up type can bitrate 250000

[HaskellOffshore]

This unit arrived, worked PnP in Ubuntu after ip link up, detected 100% in OpenCPN, now to test with my N2K Autopilot, will report back.

sudo apt-get install can-utils
sudo /sbin/ip link set can0 up type can bitrate 250000

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005655223137.html

[stevead]

now to test with my N2K Autopilot, will report back.

What brand and model of autopilot? Interested in what your expectations are.

[verkerkbr]

Originally Posted by HaskellOffshore

This unit arrived, worked PnP in Ubuntu after ip link up, detected 100% in OpenCPN, now to test with my N2K Autopilot, will report back.

sudo apt-get install can-utils
sudo /sbin/ip link set can0 up type can bitrate 250000

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005655223137.html

First you have to send the route/waypoint data from OpenCPN. The best way is to the signalK server. Add in OpenCPN output(output only).

Go to the lower setting remove all setting and activate only RMB XTE RMC udp and port 2000.

Make a new imput connection (NMEA183) in the SK server. Give it a name, udp, and
port 2000.

Now the route data runs in SignalK format.

Setup the SignalK to NMEA2000 plugin.

The route data from OpenCPN is then running on the nmea2000 network. Can be seen on NMEA2000 displays.

It depends then on the instructions for the type of the autopilot if these are supported.


Bram

[Hakan]

I bought a MKS CANable v1.0
Testing on Windows.
The device shows up as a USB device, see pict, but no COM port is created.
Win found a driver but I've also tried what's supplied by https://canable.io/

Any experience here how to proceed to make a COM port?


/Håkan

[Hakan]

Some updates about the MKS CANable v1.0.
Thanks to hints by @stevead I recognized the device was loaded with "candleight" firmware. We need it to be "slcan". I tried to update the firmware using Windows but since it seems only the Chrome reader is suitable and not Firefox I instead used a RPi400 and its Chromium. Following advises here I could update to slcan.
After that he shows up as COM port in both Win and Linux. See shot.

Now for Windows I suppose OCPN is not prepared for a slcan device like it is for e.g. Actisense and YDNU. So no data received. The TwoCAN plugin would be feasable but I've not yet tested that.

On my RPi400 and the excellent OpenPlotter it's working:
I used the "Serial" app to make a nick-name and connect it to Signalk by the CAN-Bus app. I'd to use the "Manual" method for "slcan" in Can-Bus and then it appeared in SK and all data was also received by a OCPN SK connection.

So far so good except if I disconnect and reconnect the USB I've to restart the device in CAN-Bus? To be more evaluated.

[stevead]

Just to add to Hakan's informative post, if your are using the Canable Cantact (or it's clones) on Linux, it's best to use the Candlelight firmware as the performance of the native CAN interface is better than that of the Serial CAN (slcan) interface.

Also for applications that transmit on the NMEA 2000 network perhaps consider increasing the kernel's transmit configuration.

sudo ifconfig can0 txqueuelen 1000

[Hakan]

Thanks stevead. Now I've only two sensors on the bus. One GNSS and one Compass so performance is no issue so far. And since my goal is to be able to use it on Windows by a serial COM port I think the slcan firmware is preferred.



Strange though I've to restart the device from the CAN-Bus app once it's withdrawn and connected again. Any hints?