News

08/06/2026 by Kvaser

Kvaser’s May 2026 Software Release

The May 2026 software update introduces a significant update to CanKing, in the shape of CanKing 7.5, plus incremental improvements across Kvaser’s drivers, SDKs, firmware, and documentation, with a particular focus on enabling smoother log‑file handling and improved Linux support.

Notable changes and additions include:

CanKing 7.5.0
This version of CanKing adds two major protocol‑aware extensions – J1939 Annotator and ISO‑TP Annotator – allowing engineers to automatically decode transport‑protocol traffic in Message Trace. This level of multi‑packet insight is normally found in more advanced paid-for tools, so is a major plus for users of CanKing’s lightweight and free-of-charge workflow.

CanKing 7.5’s Message Trace now has extra selectable columns, per‑column HEX/DEC formatting, correct multiplexing support, and cleaner signal ordering. Log handling is also faster: any supported log format can now be replayed without conversion, and metadata is extracted by scanning only the first 10,000 frames. New PGN‑based lookup means that J1939 DBC files are now better supported.

A wide range of fixes improve stability across log replay, workspace handling, signal plotting, toolbars, CLI commands, MDF4 logging, and virtual‑to‑physical channel transitions, resulting in a smoother day‑to‑day experience for CAN, CAN FD, and J1939 analysis.

Kvaser CANlib SDK (V5.52) 
A key enhancement is the addition of direct log‑file reading for both Windows and Linux. Engineers can now access message logs without converting them to KME, simplifying analysis workflows and reducing processing time in CanKing. MDF4 signal writing has also been refined to avoid generating empty channel groups, resulting in cleaner output files. This is particularly helpful when working with a Kvaser Memorator and a file‑conversion tool.

Kvaser Linux driver and SDK (V5.52)
The SDK and drivers gain GCC 15 compatibility – the compiler version shipping with upcoming Linux distros, a raised minimum kernel version (4.15), and a more standardised module installation process.

Support has also been extended for time‑synchronised applications, with PCIe FD devices now offering a PHC clock driver for hardware‑level CAN clock alignment via LinuxPTP. Hardware‑level CAN clock synchronisation is useful for applications where timestamp drift must be tightly controlled. All Kvaser PCIe cards will be able to take advantage of this capability when running this version of the Linux driver.

Meanwhile, SocketCAN (V1.23) users benefit from additional DKMS support in this release, ensuring modules rebuild automatically after kernel updates.

Firmware updates across Leaf Light v2, m32c‑based devices, mhydra‑based devices, VCI3, and the Memorator Config Tool consist of minor changes.

Visit the Kvaser Downloads page for more information.