Kvaser Eagle: One CAN data logger — a world of application choice

Kvaser Eagle is the company’s first programmable CAN to USB interface and data logger. In addition to the usual functionality of such devices, the Kvaser Eagle also offers far more advanced capabilities. Unique in the Kvaser range, Eagle boasts the capability of running user software, written in the Kvaser t programming language. This allows it to host a plethora of applications.

From a user perspective, Kvaser Eagle is intended to be a flexible, versatile, enhanced evolution of the Kvaser Memorator Professional. Designed with engineers in mind who need customised features such as CAN protocol converters, CAN gateways, advanced CAN logging functionality, CAN node simulation and standalone ECU programming, the Eagle can be applied in industries as broad ranging as automotive development, to industrial diagnostics, to oil and gas monitoring.

The list of potential use cases for Eagle is endless, but below are some of the most popular applications that our developers envisage:

Diagnostics:

With more advanced logging and statistics collection capabilities than the Kvaser Memorator Professional and indeed, most other CAN interfaces on the market, Eagle is likely to find application in many diagnostics situations. Eagle can collect signal triggered data and perform periodic information gathering over a long period of time. This premium data logger can also be programmed in such a way that it actively interrogates an ECU, requesting further information from the ECU depending on the response. This kind of built-in intelligence is a key differentiator from Kvaser Memorator and Memorator Professional interfaces.

ECU reprogramming:

With the ability to run an active handshake protocol to unlock a device via the Seed-Key mechanism, Eagle can run Kvaser t programs to handle ECU reprogramming; the advantage being that there is no need for any interaction with a PC, which is how reprogramming is normally carried out. Using Kvaser t programs running on the CAN interface to access the ECU directly also circumvents any latency caused by the PC interface. With its built-in encryption option, manufacturers that use Eagle for ECU reprogramming can be assured that their proprietary ECU access codes remain fully secured.

Gateway/Bridge:

A Kvaser t program can be used to effectively transform the Eagle into a gateway or bridge between two CAN networks. When used as a bridge between two different CAN networks, for example, the Eagle is able to use filters to screen out certain messages and, if necessary, inject faults or modify signal values.

ECU Simulation:

There are many situations in which a system may require testing but one or several ECUs are not available, for example, in the early stages of the powertrain and vehicle design cycle when an ECU is being designed but other ECUs are missing; during design and production of associated parts and perhaps even during servicing. Hence, having a ‘virtual’ ECU that can mimic in entirety the signals produced by the real one can save considerable time.
Eagle is an ideal host for simple or complex ECU simulations. With its event driven programming language, this device can act as a standalone ECU simulator, no matter how advanced the ECU needing to be simulated.

Higher Layer Protocols:

Eagle has built-in support for ISO 15765-2. Other protocols such as J1939 can be implemented using Kvaser t. Customer requests for particular protocol stacks will be passed to appropriate Kvaser technical partners.
Notably, Kvaser’s network of technical associates will become a major source of application-specific Kvaser t software for Eagle. However, since ease of program development was a central tenet of the Eagle design team, it is expected that many Kvaser clients will be quick to adopt Eagle’s feature set themselves.

The Kvaser t programming language, which is event driven and C-like, is compiled on the developer’s PC into efficient byte code for execution on Eagle. Among many other features, Kvaser t supports floating point calculations, structures, recursion and file access. A Kvaser t program can also be hooked into the Eagle’s data logger functionality to, for example, implement advanced filters. The Kvaser t programming language manual is now available and sample scripts can be found in the CANlib SDK.