Following hardware is supported:

• CAN card for parallel port from Elektor Magazine June 2000
• CAN card for parallel port from CAN200 project

Driver status:

The driver files on these homepage are shareware and only demo versions. In the demo version only baud rates to maximally 400 kBaud are possible. The full version does not have this restriction. The test application and the older CanParActiveX has no restrictions. Presently the newer CanIX control has no restrictions but however is shareware. The shareware fee is 12.50 EUR for the binary driver and 5 EUR for the CanIX control. In addition, the Linux driver has no restrictions but the development was stopped because a complete new Linux driver was published under GNU license at http://canbus4linux.sourceforge.net

Driver for Windows 9x:

• The driver is only usable for the hardware, specified above
• The parallel port must be adjustable to bi-directional, to EPP or to ECP (settings are made in the BIOS)
• The settings of the selected LPT is determined automatically (IO address and IRQ)
• The driver can serve only one interface, the parallel port is adjusted in the System Control
• BasicCAN and PeliCAN is implemented
• Each received and sent message and also errors (bus error...) are provided with a timing. The timing has a resolution of 1 ms (0,8 microseconds internally)
• Shareware

The driver is installed over the System Control and Device Manager (see also: PDF File (only in german presently)) the driver can be installed only once, i.e. two parallel ports can never be used at the same time. The driver is called CANPAR in a programme.

Driver for Windows NT 4.0:

• The driver is only usable for the hardware, specified above
• The parallel port must be adjustable to bi-directional, to EPP or to ECP (settings are made in the BIOS)
• The driver API from NT was used
• As many devices are created as parallel ports are available
• BasicCAN and PeliCAN is implemented
• Each received and sent message and also errors (bus error...) are provided with a timing. The timing has a resolution of 1 ms (0,1 microseconds internally)
• Shareware

Driver for Windows 2000:

• The driver is only usable for the hardware, specified above
• The parallel port must be adjustable to bi-directional, to EPP or to ECP (settings are made in the BIOS)
• The driver API from NT was used
• As many devices are created as parallel ports are available
• BasicCAN and PeliCAN is implemented
• Each received and sent message and also errors (bus error...) are provided with a timing. The timing has a resolution of 1 ms (0,1 microseconds internally)
• Shareware

Driver for 2.10 für Linux:

• For kernel: 2.2.16 (Suse 7.0), 2.2.18 (Suse 7.1) und 2.4.0 (Suse 7.1)
• The driver is only usable for the Elektor hardware from magazine 06/2000
• The parallel port must be adjustable to bi-directional, to EPP or to ECP (settings are made in the BIOS)
• The driver API from PARPORT was used
• As many devices are created as parallel ports are available
• BasicCAN and PeliCAN is implemented
• Each received and sent message and also errors (bus error...) are provided with a timing. The timing has a resolution of 1 ms (1,0 microseconds internally)
• The development of this driver was stopped, instead of this driver try out the new one http://canbus4linux.sourceforge.net . The new driver has a modular design (which was under Windows not or highly difficult to implement) and therefore provides much more features.

Please take notice to the installation guide in the README file!

Applications:

Here is only the Windows application described. You can get informations about the Linux version here: http://canbus4linux.sourceforge.net

Testprogramme:

After the driver installation the application (CATT.EXE) can be started. By the menu: "Open CAN channel" the driver is loaded and initialized. Afterwards messages can be sent and received. By the menu "Response CAN frames" TX (send) and RX (receive) CAN frames can be registered, TX frames will send as a response if RX frames are received on the bus. For first tests it is recommended to test the hardware with a tested software/hardware combination (e.g. identically CAN card + driver). Afterwards CATT can be started (CATT = CAN analysis and test tool). Additionally the MFC.DLL and MSVCRT.DLL is needed which are copied best into the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.

ActiveX Controls

The file CanParActiveX.ocx is public domain but further development was stopped. Only the executability with the current driver is guaranteed (that means the control is compiled against the new driver). A description with a installation guide is in the PDF file (in german only presently).

The new control: CanIX is shareware and is also fully functional under VBasic (which was CanParActiveX.ocx not). A description in form of an on-line help is installed with it, in addition you find a pdf file with a description and examples for VBasic, Visual C++ 6,0 and CBuilder 5.0 in the download section.

Header files for C und C++ programmes:

Instead of using the control, I recommend the direct API programming for performance reasons. The header and LIB files are freely available. A description is here.

Header files for other programming languages:

Also other programming languages (e.g. DELPHI) can naturally use directly the API. As a template the C-headers can be used.

Known problems:

Problem: CAN card was not recognized

Solution: It's the best to check the hardware with another driver (e.g. the ELEKTOR CAN card with the DOS tool from Elektor) Maybe it's a hardware problem: to get the hardware working with my notebook it was necessary to decrease the value of the resistors R1-R12.

Problem: Malfunctions

Lösung: Maybe a problem with the bus termination. Mainly at higher baudrates the bus must be terminated at both ends with 120 Ohm resistors!

Last change at 18.5.2005

Juergen.Eder@gmx.de