03 - Configuring CAN02 for VBOX

Connection of CAN02 to VBOX 3i

Using the 5 way LEMO to 5 way LEMO cable (RLVBCAB05) connect the VCI bus of the VBOX to socket 1 (CAN/POWER IN) or socket 2 on the CAN02 module.

Power the VBOX using either the mains adaptor or a fully charged battery pack. Connect the SER port (RS232) of the VBOX to a PC using an RLCAB001. 

CAN02 must be configured before use, so that it knows which identifiers to look for on the CAN bus and which part of the CAN data to read. It also needs to know what data rate the CAN bus is using. You can set these parameters in VBOX Tools.
 

With CAN02 connected to the VBOX and the VBOX connected to the PC, run VBOX Tools software and click on VBOX Setup. The VB3i will recognise that the CAN02 is connected and add a new tab under ‘VCI modules’ showing the serial number of the CAN02.
 

In the window shown below, define the CAN baud rate of the vehicle to which the CAN02 is to be connected. This should match the baud rate of the VBOX. The default is 500 kbit/s.
 

To enable a channel for logging by the VBOX, click the ‘log to compact flash’ tick box, to the left of the channel button. To edit the attributes of the channel, click the channel button to enter the channel setup window.
 

Loading a CAN database

Click one of the 16 channel buttons to load a CAN database file. In the example below, we’ve loaded in the IMU04 DBC file.
 

After clicking on a channel button, the Channel setup window will appear.  In this window you can edit the name, units, scale, offset or CAN parameters.
 

After setting up the channel you can view the live data in the Channel setup window. This gives an immediate confirmation that data is being received and scaling factors are correct.
 

It is also possible to import industry standard CAN database files with the “.DBC” file extension or to download encoded data set files from the Racelogic vehicle CAN database with the .REF extension. These files contain CAN data signals that have been recorded by Racelogic to provide basic functions for most makes of vehicle. Most of the data sets will contain at least the following signal parameters:-
 

• Vehicle/Wheel speed – normally for each wheel
• Engine Speed
• Brake Switch
• Throttle position
   

To load information from a database file click the ‘Database’ button. This will bring up a standard Windows browser window from which the database can be found and loaded.  Then the following window is opened from which you select which item of CAN data you wish to associate to this CAN02 channel.
 

Serial Data

If a CAN02 data channel is required to be viewed in the VBOX display window then it will need to be enabled in the serial data stream.  Select VBOX setup then click the ‘Channels’ button.

Next, select the ‘VCI Modules’ tab and then the tab corresponding to the CAN02 module. In this window tick each channel that you wish to be present in the serial data stream to ‘log to compact flash’ and then ‘send over serial’.