CSS Electronics CL2000 CAN Bus Logger & USB Interface

The CANedge1 is the 2nd generation of the CL2000. Although it does not support real-time streaming via USB, it is designed to be a superior CAN bus data logger. Below we list some of the most important changes in CANedge1.

In general, we recommend CANedge1 for medium and large logging applications - if in doubt, please contact us .

Mechanical

• Extractable SD: The SD can be extracted to transfer data at 80 MB/s (compared to 0.5 MB/s for the CLX000 via USB).
• Industrial SD card: The CANedge uses an industrial SD card, which improves performance and lifetime
• Channels: 2xCAN channels, which enables parallel logging of 2 CAN buses
• Aluminium housing: The new housing is significantly more robust and yet extremely compact
• Power output: supply external modules with power via the 2nd port, e.g. with a DB9-DB9/USB adapter

Protocol files and software/API

• MDF4 protocol files: Popular binary MDF4 format - enables high performance and fast processing
• Configuration: Open source configuration editor can be used online or offline via your browser
• JSON schema: Configuration files are based on the standardised JSON schema concept, which is supported by many open source tools
• asammdf GUI : Enables user-friendly editing of MDF4 log files, DBC conversion (incl. OBD2/J1939), graphical representations and more
• Python API : Easily process your data at scale and automate the creation of e.g. reports/databases/dashboards
• Converter : Open source C++ converters enable drag & drop/CLI conversion of MDF4 files to e.g. *.csv, *.asc, *.trc

Data acquisition

• Lossless: The CANedge can log extreme bus loads without message loss (the CLX000 is limited to ~1000 frames/sec.)
• Extended configuration: Extended filters and transmission lists (e.g. up to 128 filters compared to 8 for the CLX000)
• Precision: 20 times higher RTC resolution (50 microseconds) - with extended WLAN RTC synchronisation
• Boot time: Much faster boot time compared to the CLX000 (~1 sec. vs. ~10 sec.)
• CAN FD: The CANedge supports CAN FD (Flexible Data Rate) and is therefore future-proof
• LIN bus: Supports LIN bus data logging (slave mode)

The CLX000 series can log data from any high-speed CAN bus application (ISO 11898-2). In practice, this includes raw data from almost all vehicles (cars, trucks, tractors, forklifts, buses, motorbikes, ...) - as well as various production machines, EV batteries and more. Most aeroplanes and boats also use the CAN bus. In terms of protocols, this includes J1939, CANopen, NMEA, FMS, OBD2 and more.

For the specific case of OBD2, the CLX000 can send up to 20 customised CAN messages periodically, which means it can be used as an OBD2 data logger. Note, however, that you need to check whether your car uses CAN as the basis for OBD2 communication (this is the case for all US cars manufactured after 2008, for example). Also note that all cars differ in the number of OBD2 parameters supported - and of course the CLX000 can only record the supported data.

The CLX000 series can be supplied with power via the CAN bus. This means that you simply connect the device via the DB9 connector to supply it with power. In cars, you normally need a DB9-OBD2 adapter, while for trucks, for example, you can use a DB9-J1939 adapter.

Once the connection is established, the CLX000 starts recording data - and due to its extremely low power consumption, you can simply leave it in the vehicle. In most vehicles, the CLX000 switches off when the vehicle is switched off. If this is not the case, the power consumption of the logger itself is still not a problem in terms of battery consumption. However, if you request OBD2 data in this scenario, for example, the request may activate the vehicle's control units. In this case, you should avoid leaving the CLX000 switched on in an unused car for more than a few days.

Note that the CLX000 can also be powered via USB when it switches to "mass storage device mode" - so you can configure the logger on your PC without a separate power source.

The 8GB SD card offers an enormous capacity for the CL2000 CAN bus data logger. Whilst memory usage varies depending on the application, 8GB is sufficient for continuously logged data over many weeks. As most vehicles do not drive continuously, this typically equates to months of data.

If you need to log data over a very long period of time, you can either upgrade to a 32 GB SD card or pre-log your data at a lower frequency (e.g. only log every 10th or 100th message). Finally, you can add filtering to limit your logging to specific CAN IDs or J1939 PGNs. Please refer to the product manual for more details.

The CL2000 CAN bus analyser has a real-time clock with battery backup. This means that your CAN bus data is 'time stamped' - i.e. each CAN frame logged on the vehicle network is time stamped so that you can link the observed CAN data patterns to real-time events.

This is critical in applications where you are comparing your CAN bus data with physical events (e.g. weather conditions, time of day, physical interaction with the vehicle, etc.). Also, once you are logging data over several days, it can be difficult to keep track of your data if you have not recorded the date and time. In practice, we therefore always recommend using a CL2000/CANedge CAN logger if you primarily want to record vehicle/machine data and not stream it in real time.