CAN-FD frame and signal analysis
Inspect CAN-FD payload lengths and recorded bit-rate-switch flags, then compare frame contents with the matching DBC. Check nominal and data-phase configuration where setup information is available.
Vehicle Networks & Communication
CAN-FD Analysis Service
Investigate CAN-FD communication problems using recorded traffic, CAN dumps, and DBC data. The work focuses on evidence from frames, signals, errors, timing, and message routing.
Discuss a CAN-FD ProjectProblems I can investigate
Find the behavior behind the symptom
- 01
CAN-FD communication issue
Examine configuration, timing, compatibility, and decoding conditions that may prevent CAN-FD frames from being communicated or interpreted correctly.
- 02
CAN bus errors
Review captured error events and, where supplied by the interface or ECU, bus-off status and controller error counters. A traffic recording alone may not contain controller diagnostics.
- 03
CAN message missing
Compare expected traffic with live data or recordings to determine where a CAN frame is absent, intermittent, or not decoded as expected.
- 04
CAN gateway issue
Trace messages across CAN networks to assess whether they are missing, modified incorrectly, or routed to the wrong network.
What I can help with
Focused engineering work in Vehicle Networks & Communication
Recording-based CAN investigation
Work through timestamped bus communication to correlate missing messages, errors, and changes in traffic over the recording.
CAN gateway traffic review
Analyze message movement between CAN networks and document evidence of missing, modified, or incorrectly routed communication.
Scripted decoding and analysis
Use Python-based processing to parse CAN data, apply CAN database definitions, and produce repeatable analysis results.
What to send
Start with the evidence you already have
BLF recording
A Vector binary log containing timestamped bus communication.
ASC recording
A text-based Vector bus recording.
DBC
A CAN database defining messages and signals.
CAN dump
Raw or text-exported CAN frames.
How the analysis works
From recorded data to engineering findings
- 01
Review the available evidence
Confirm the recording or CAN dump scope, the expected communication, and the available DBC definitions before analysis begins.
- 02
Inspect frames and errors
Examine frames, timestamps, and any captured error events. Correlate bus-off status or error counters only when separate controller diagnostics are supplied; distinguish missing evidence from an absence of errors.
- 03
Decode and compare traffic
Apply the available DBC data to decode messages and signals, then compare observed traffic with expected message behavior.
- 04
Trace message routing
Follow relevant messages across CAN networks to assess possible gateway omissions, modifications, or routing differences.
- 05
Document findings
Separate direct observations from engineering interpretation and record evidence that can support further debugging or testing.
What you receive
Deliverables matched to the investigation
Engineering analysis
A documented technical analysis with evidence and findings.
CAN decoding results
Decoded CAN frames, signals, and interpretation notes.
DBC file
An agreed DBC update for messages and signals supported by supplied definitions or verified evidence; unknown payload semantics remain documented as unresolved.
Technologies & formats
Automotive data and analysis environments
- CAN-FD
CAN Flexible Data-rate
An extension of CAN with larger payloads and a faster data phase.
- CAN
Controller Area Network
A priority-based broadcast bus used for in-vehicle control communication.
- DBC
CAN Database
A text format describing CAN messages, signals, nodes, scaling, and metadata.
- CANoe
Vector CANoe
A development, simulation, test, and analysis environment for vehicle networks.
- J1939
SAE J1939
A higher-layer vehicle network protocol suite using CAN, common in heavy vehicles.
- ISO-TP
ISO 15765-2 Transport Protocol
A segmented transport protocol for messages carried over CAN.
- CANalyzer
Vector CANalyzer
A Vector environment for recording and analyzing vehicle-network communication.
- python-can
python-can
A Python library providing a common API for CAN interfaces and messages.
- BLF
Binary Logging Format
A Vector binary container for timestamped bus communication.
- cantools
cantools
A Python package for parsing CAN databases and encoding or decoding messages.
- UDS
Unified Diagnostic Services
ISO 14229 diagnostic services for communicating with vehicle ECUs.
- CAPL
Communication Access Programming Language
Vector event-driven language for network simulation, testing, and automation.
FAQ
Practical questions before an investigation
- What data is needed to start a CAN-FD analysis?
- A BLF recording, ASC recording, CAN dump, or DBC can provide a starting point. The most useful combination depends on whether the task is focused on traffic, decoding, errors, or gateway behavior.
- Can missing CAN messages be investigated from a recording?
- Yes. A recording can be reviewed for expected frames, timing patterns, error activity, and changes in traffic. The result documents observed evidence rather than assuming a single cause.
- Can you work without a DBC?
- Yes, frame-level analysis can still be performed from a CAN dump or recording. Signal interpretation is more limited when message and signal definitions are not available.
- What is included in the analysis?
- The scope can include CAN-FD and CAN traffic review, decoding against DBC data, error pattern analysis, missing-message investigation, and gateway traffic assessment.
Discuss the evidence
Discuss a CAN-FD Project
Send a BLF recording, ASC recording, CAN dump, or DBC with the communication issue you need investigated.