With the new SAE J1939 API IXXAT offers the J1939 protocol software with a comfortable programming interface as a DLL for Windows XP/Vista and allows herewith the easy implementation of SAE J1939 applications on the PC. It is based on the VCI CAN driver and thereby supports all CAN interfaces form IXXAT.
By Christian Schlegel, IXXAT Automation GmbH
Today, the industrial automation market for Ethernet-based communication is increasing in demand. As with classical field busses, several protocol standards are available for Industrial Ethernet, which have to be supported by device manufacturers. Since these different Ethernet standards vary in their hardware and software requirements, a specific protocol solution for their integration into a device is required.
Despite the efforts of IAONA to find a common solution for industrial communication over Ethernet, disparate protocols emerged that were sponsored and promoted by a number of classic field bus suppliers. Eleven concepts to achieve Ethernet relevant for industrial communication are currently standardized within IEC 61158. Similar to the so-called “field bus wars” in the eighties, in the end, some of the eleven Industrial Ethernet solutions will be accepted in the market.
The Windows real-time extension »RealTime Suite« of the Berlin company Kithara Software enables with its new CAN module the development of automation solutions where a CAN communication in real-time is required. It focuses especially on users who need a time-critical handling of CAN messages, for instance machine builders and computer control companies.
In this areas a safe and timely equidistant data exchange is usually needed as well as a fast reaction on external events. Here, the standard Windows drivers delivered with CAN boards fail, because they are only usable from within the application context.
By Christian Schlegel, IXXAT Automation
One solution circumventing the limitations of CANopen (limited bandwidth, limited system extension) would be switching completely to Ethernet POWERLINK. However, for many systems this would be like the tail wagging the dog since the POWERLINK technology is more expensive than the CANopen technology (e.g. cabling costs, hardware costs, system integration costs). Instead of converting a system completely from CANopen to POWERLINK, it often makes sense to build a new system structure using several subsystems. The following two system architectures are possible…
The universal Embedded Platform, which was already successful presented in March on the Embedded World Fair in Nuremberg, can as of now be delivered to interested customers.
The Embedded Platform was specially designed for customers, which like to develop applications for the industrial or automotive area, but do not yet have the final target hardware with the required field bus interfaces available.
The hardware supports a temperature range between -20 °C and +70 °C, is based on a powerful microcontroller module and provides many interfaces for the connection to all important field bus systems (FlexRay, 4 x CAN, 2 x LIN, K-Line and others). In addition, RS-232 interfaces for the connection of external peripheral devices are available, as well as digital and analog I/Os.
Time stamps with an accuracy of 100 ns can be assigned to the messages on all bus interfaces. This also applies for the analog and digital I/Os.