CAN Bus logger

The script shown below will output all CAN bus messages received on CAN channel 1 to the RaceCapture/Pro log window.

This is useful for seeing raw data from the CAN bus and can serve as a general diagnostic aid.

Using the CAN Bus logger

  • Copy (Ctrl-C) and paste (Ctrl-V) the script below into the script window of the app
    • Note: Ensure any existing script is erased before copying in this logger script.
  • Set the correct baud rate in RaceCapture's CAN Settings page
    • Typical baud rates are: 250000, 500000 and 1000000
    • It's a good idea to also set the same baud rate in the CAN Bus configuration view.
  • Click the write configuration button (down arrow button on left) to write the script to RaceCapture/Pro.
  • Check the check box to poll the log file. This will cause messages from the script to show up in the bottom window.
  • Click the circular-arrow button to re-load the script.

RaceCapture CAN bus logger scrip view.png

Script

-- Log messages from CAN bus
-- be sure to set the correct baud rate in the CAN settings

--------------------------------------------------
-- change this to 1 for CAN bus 1, 2 for CAN bus 2
canBus = 1
--------------------------------------------------

--this function drains all pending CAN messages
--and outputs messages to the log
function outputCAN()
 repeat 
  id, ext, data = rxCAN(0, 1000)
  if id ~= nil then
   print('[' ..id ..']: ')
   for i = 1,#data do
    print(data[i] ..', ')
   end
   println('')
  end
 until id == nil
    println('Timeout: no CAN data')
end
 
function onTick()
 outputCAN()
end

setTickRate(30)

Watching for messages

If RaceCapture/Pro is receiving CAN bus messages, you will see them in the window below the script.

I don't see data

If you don't see the CAN bus messages you were expecting, there could be a number of issues:

  • Baud rate is incorrect. Determine the correct baud rate for the BUS and try agian.
  • Bus termination is incorrect. RaceCapture/Pro has built in CAN bus termination. Ensure your CAN bus is balanced with terminators on each end.
  • Interference / poor wire connection. Try shortening the wire or checking the connections.
  • Incorrect Wiring for CAN bus connections. See the Quick Reference for the pinout for the CAN bus connections. Ensure you're connected to the CAN bus used in the script (CAN 1 is the default for the script).
  • Reversed CAN High and CAN Low wiring. Re-check the wiring.

Advanced: Using a Terminal Program

To gather large amounts of data, we recommend connecting directly to RaceCapture/Pro's serial console using a terminal program like Hyperterminal, RealTerm, minicom or similar.

  • Close the RaceCapture app
  • Connect to the RaceCapture device using HyperTerminal, RealTerm or Minicom using the COM port assigned by the operating system.
  • Press <Enter> to see a list of commands
  • View the log by issuing the command 'viewLog' at the serial console.
  • You will see a dump of the CAN bus data to the screen.