Products

CAN Driver for Windows (VCI)

Powerful driver software with generic programming
interface for all IXXAT PC-CAN interface cards

With the VCI, IXXAT presents the third generation of its proven CAN driver based on the successful VCI concept. The driver provides a uniform programming interface that is independent of the PC interface technology, and thus allows the use of all IXXAT CAN interfaces without adaptation of the application software.

The VCI is designed as a system server and allows simultaneous access of several applications to one or more CAN controllers of one or more PC interfaces. Moving all important functions to the kernel optimizes the real-time-compatibility of the VCI driver.
The user interface is designed as a "C" Port that offers all necessary functions for CAN-based applications. In addition to the "C" Port, the VCI offers a .net API and therefore it can be used with all Windows .net languages and scripts (e.g. C#).

Communication with the CAN interface card occurs via message channels. A message channel consists of one transmit and one receive FIFO. Message channels can be created exclusively or cooperatively. If message channels are created cooperatively for a certain CAN controller, the data of that CAN controller is distributed equally to the various message channels. The receive FIFO of a message channel supports the access methods "event-controlled" and "polling" where a FIFO fill level mark can be defined to trigger an event. In addition, specific message filtering can be carried out for each CAN controller. The CAN messages are read from the receive FIFO with status and time stamp of the time of reception.

In addition to the standard transmit method, intelligent cards (cards with their own microcontroller system) support extended transmit functions such as the transmission of messages with a time delay, which controls the message flow via a transmit inhibit time, or cyclic on-board transmission, by which high bus loads and exact cycle times of messages can be generated. Also available are incrementing functions which can alter the transmit data.

The VCI supports a plug & play notification system by which the insertion and the removal of CAN interfaces is automatically detected and processed. This makes it possible to remove devices while a VCI application is running.

Support of Labview
The use of IXXAT CAN interface cards in conjunction with the test and programming system Labview® from National Instruments is supported by a VI library.

Further functions of the VCI CAN driver

• Convenient card installation via the Windows device manager
• Prepared dialog for selection of the installed cards simplifies the integration into the user application
• Management functions for start-up and testing of the PC/CAN interface
• Automatic firmware download with active cards directly from the driver enables simple firmware updates
• Standard (11-bit identifier, CAN 2.0A) and extended protocol (29-bit identifier, CAN 2.0B)
• Detection and display of error frames on the bus
• Measurement and display of the bus load (only with active CAN cards)
• Reception of self-transmitted messages (self-reception), possible operation in "Listen only mode"
• Cyclic transmission of CAN messages (only with active cards)

Simple installation of the CAN interfaces
The CAN interfaces are installed in accordance with the Windows standard. During installation, the data of the installed CAN interfaces is entered into the registry.

Available versions
The VCI driver version 3 is available for Windows 2000/XP/Vista. Older Windows operating systems will be supported by the version 2 of the VCI driver.

It is also possible for CAN cards and CAN modules of other vendors to be supported by the VCI CAN driver. Please ask us if you are interested in this capability.

Free CAN monitor "miniMon"
For simple testing purposes and start-up of the PC interfaces, a free CAN monitor (miniMon) is installed with the VCI. This monitor can be used to display CAN messages with time stamp, message identifiers and data. A logging function enables the data received to be recorded directly to hard disk. CAN messages are transmitted via a list wherein CAN messages are entered. Installed interfaces are displayed with the available CAN controllers, the current bus load and the controller status.





Contents of delivery
- VCI
- CAN monitor "miniMon"
- Demo programs in C, C#
- Installation and programming manual

Version 2 of the VCI driver

In addition to the VCI V3 driver, IXXAT continues to offer its proven VCI V2 driver which supports all interfaces listed in the catalog, including those with older operating systems (such as Windows NT/98/Me).