Programming Outputs And Reading Inputs; Using Ecm's Configuration Tool - ECM appsCAN Module Instruction Manual

Programming Outputs and Reading Inputs

There are two ways to program the outputs and to read the inputs of an appsCAN module:
via ECM's Configuration Tool and via CAN messages sent by another program.

Using ECM's Configuration Tool

The Configuration Tool runs on your PC and uses a CAN communication device to
communicate with one or more modules. While the tool is being used with modules, just
ECM modules set to stand-alone mode (see Appendix B) should be connected to the CAN
bus. appsCAN is fixed to operate in stand-alone mode only. This chapter focuses on using
the Configuration Tool with the appsCAN module.
The Configuration Tool supports four CAN communication devices: Kvaser, ETAS, Peak
USB to CAN adapters, and the VectorCAN CAN adapter card. Driver software for one of
these adapters must be installed prior to using the Configuration Tool. This software will be
supplied with the adapter or be available on-line. The Configuration Tool is delivered on a
CD.
Once the adapter's driver and the Configuration Tool software are installed, and with the
appsCAN module(s) powered and connected to the CAN adapter, start the Configuration
Tool software. Click on the "Modules" tab, select the CAN adapter, and click on the
"START" button.
The software will identify all modules on the bus and display them in the "Module" field. If
this does not happen, make sure that the CAN bus is properly terminated (i.e. resistors).
Open the Module field to see all the modules on the bus. If a module is not listed, one reason
could be that its Node ID is the same as another module. To resolve this, remove all
modules except the "missing" one from the CAN bus, STOP then START the software, and
change that module's Node ID. Another reason that a module is not listed could be that the
module is in EIB mode instead of stand-alone mode. All modules must be in stand-alone
mode.
To configure one of the modules (ex. change its Node ID) or to look at that module's data,
you have to select that module in the "Module" field.
There are three things you can do with the Configuration Tool:
1. Configure a module. This includes programming the module's outputs.
2. Look at data coming from that module in real-time and optionally logging it.
3. Produce a .dbc file to be used by your data acquisition program.
Alternatively, 1. and 2. (above) can be performed by direct CAN communication with the
module. For information on how to do this and further detailed information about the
appsCAN module, refer to the Appendix E.
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