CAN-Bus Reading Tool: A Custom Firmware Solution for Automotive Data Filtering
A high-performance CAN-Bus reading tool designed by Digital Dividend to filter, read, and log critical CAN bus data for specialized automotive testing.
Industry:
Automotive & Special Vehicles
Technology Stack:
C/C++, ARM Cortex M0, CAN Protocol, RS232, SPI, I2C, CANvas, Wiresharkn
Category:
Firmware Development / Embedded Systems
Project Duration:
23 January 2021 – 05 March 2021
Executive Summary
Digital Dividend‘s client needed a specialized CAN bus reading tool to capture and filter CAN bus messages from custom vehicles, supported by embedded systems consultation for testing and analysis purposes.
We at Digital Dividend, an IT services company that developed a compact, efficient CAN bus reader with intelligent filtering capabilities that saves relevant data directly to USB storage.
The result is a cost-effective firmware solution that streamlines vehicle diagnostics and reduces data management overhead.
Overview
Special vehicle manufacturers and testing facilities often face the challenge of extracting specific diagnostic data from complex CAN bus systems built on emerging technologies.
Traditional approaches involve capturing all messages, leading to unnecessary storage costs and time-consuming manual filtering.
Our client sought a targeted solution that could intelligently filter messages at the hardware level, aligning perfectly with app development for portable products used in field environments.
The Challenge
- Data Overload: Not all CAN bus messages were relevant for the client’s special vehicle analysis
- High Operational Costs: Existing solutions required expensive maintenance and software licensing, making custom software development a more viable alternative.
- Storage Constraints: Unfiltered CAN data quickly consumed available storage capacity
- Speed Requirements: The device needed to handle both medium and high-speed CAN bus systems without data loss
Our Solution
Our IoT development team delivered a complete embedded firmware solution built on ARM Cortex M0 microcontrollers:
- Intelligent Message Filtering to capture only relevant CAN bus data based on custom criteria
- Dual-Speed Support for both medium and high-speed CAN bus systems across various vehicle types
- Direct USB Storage enables filtered messages to be saved instantly to flash drives
- Multi-Protocol Communication supporting CAN, RS232, SPI, and I2C interfaces
- Real-Time Processing ensures no message loss even during high-traffic scenarios
Our firmware architecture at Digital Dividend prioritized efficiency, reliability, and ease of deployment in field testing environments.
Implementation Highlights
1. Hardware Platform Selection: Selected ARM Cortex M0 microcontrollers for optimal balance of performance, power efficiency, and cost.
2. Custom Filtering Engine: Developed firmware logic to identify and capture specific CAN message IDs while discarding irrelevant traffic in real time.
3. Multi-Speed CAN Support: Implemented protocols to seamlessly handle both 125 kbps and 1 Mbps CAN bus speeds.
4. USB Storage Integration: Built file management routines to reliably write filtered messages to FAT32-formatted USB drives.
5. Testing & Validation: Used CANvas and Wireshark for comprehensive protocol analysis and message verification across different vehicle platforms.
Technology Choice
- Microcontroller: ARM Cortex M0
- Firmware Language: C/C++
- Protocols: CAN, RS232, SPI, I2C
- Analysis Tools: CANvas, Wireshark
Outcome
The client needed a practical, cost-effective way to extract meaningful data from special vehicle CAN bus systems without drowning in irrelevant messages.
With a limited budget and tight deadlines, they required a partner who could deliver reliable embedded firmware quickly.
Digital Dividend transformed their requirements into a working device that saves time, reduces storage costs, and makes vehicle diagnostics significantly more efficient.
Key Results:
- Reduced data storage requirements by filtering out non-essential CAN messages
- Eliminated expensive third-party software licensing fees
- Enabled faster vehicle analysis through targeted data collection
- Delivered a production-ready device in under six weeks