Any simple programmable logic CAN controllers?

[Chuck W]

I'm working on a project that I'd like to be able to trigger a CEL through a relay via a CANBUS message. (Using a newer factory PCM etc. in an older 'analog" car without any electronic gauges).

I found this guy CANNY 5.3 Pico which looks to be able to do what I would like...however, they're out of Russia, and I'm not really finding any ways to purchase said items in the US. I'm also drawing a blank on any substitutes.


Do any of you savvy folks have any ideas on options?

 

[244tiCanuck]

Here to follow the thread. Canbus and programming is something I struggle to wrap my head around. I can diagnose canbus faults in cars, but implementing it in custom use cases is beyond me. Damned ADHD (I haven't gotten around to hyperfocusing on it yet...)
It would seem to me than an arduino with a canbus sheild would do it hardware-wise, but the coding is something I have yet to learn.

 

[bobxyz]

How much programming are you comfortable with? There's lots of options for small microcontroller boards with either built-in CAN or a SPI-to-CAN bus adapter. For example:

Canis Labs Products

Canis Automotve Labs products CANPico CryptoCAN IDPS100 CAN-HG Engine

canislabs.com

Adafruit RP2040 CAN Bus Feather with MCP2515 CAN Controller

If you'd like quickly get started with CAN bus interfacing, with no soldering required, our Adafruit RP2040 CAN Bus Feather comes ready-to-rock with a microcontroller, CAN ...

www.adafruit.com

For Arduino MCP2515 CAN Bus Module TJA1050 Receiver SPI Module | eBay

6, module size: 4.4cm x 2.8cm screw hole center spacing 23mm x 38mm. Impedance matching, ensure drive capacity. hope you could understand. 1, support CAN V2.0B specification, the communication speed 1Mb / S.

www.ebay.com

 

[Chuck W]

That unit I linked offers a simple solution with it looks to be simple enough programming (with a little bit of research).

(I'm trying to avoid getting a Dakota Digital Speedo/Tech CAN interface unit that has the CEL output)

 

[Chuck W]

How much programming are you comfortable with? There's lots of options for small microcontroller boards with either built-in CAN or a SPI-to-CAN bus adapter. For example:

Canis Labs Products

Canis Automotve Labs products CANPico CryptoCAN IDPS100 CAN-HG Engine

canislabs.com

Adafruit RP2040 CAN Bus Feather with MCP2515 CAN Controller

If you'd like quickly get started with CAN bus interfacing, with no soldering required, our Adafruit RP2040 CAN Bus Feather comes ready-to-rock with a microcontroller, CAN ...

www.adafruit.com

For Arduino MCP2515 CAN Bus Module TJA1050 Receiver SPI Module | eBay

6, module size: 4.4cm x 2.8cm screw hole center spacing 23mm x 38mm. Impedance matching, ensure drive capacity. hope you could understand. 1, support CAN V2.0B specification, the communication speed 1Mb / S.

www.ebay.com

There's a learning curve there that I'm not sure I have the bandwidth for, I think. I'd be much more comfortable with the graphical programming interface that CANNY unit offers. Programming is not my strong suit, even though I've done some.

 

[fatcatbestcat]

Can you do the can can???

 

[Meatball]

But why?

 

[bobxyz]

I did a search for "price of CANNY 5.3" and found this link. The $49 seems really cheap but the website may ship to the US. Who knows with the tariff chaos.

canny 5.3 pico automotive visual and 50 similar items

Priced $49.00. CANNY?5.3 pico is small-sized, cost-effective automotive programmable logic controller with CAN 2.0A/B interface, three general purpose IO channels, up to two LIN interfaces and protected ADC. The on-board physical layer CAN an LIN interfaces all...

www.bonanza.com

What exactly are you trying to do? Does the factory ECM continuously broadcast a message with a CEL On/Off status, or does the monitor box need to send a CAN request first? Do you want to monitor anything else? What car is this going into?

 

[Chuck W]

Yeah, that website seems kind of sketchy. That was the only source to purchase I found (aside from an expired ebay link for one of the CANNY 7's)

Using a 2011 Mustang 3.7 drivetrain into an '86 Fox wagon. I plan on keeping a fully analog cluster.

All of the communication to the stock Mustang IC is via CAN. There is no direct "Engine light" output from the PCM.

The main thing I'm looking for is the CEL trigger message, but I might need to capture the tach signal to drive the tach.

I may just talk myself into getting the Dakota Digital stuff, but I picked up one of those Adafruit boards and was chatting with my brother who does avionics programming for Boeing about the project.

 

[bobxyz]

Let me check my spare parts piles - I may be able to send you an Arduino CAN setup for cheap. It would be the boards shown here minus the LCD display. I have it running with both MegaSquirt and MaxxECU CAN bus dashboard broadcasting. It includes the circuit for automotive 12V to 5V, and a couple suitable connectors, so a bit easier to install than the Adafruit board. Modifying the code to just get a CEL status bit from a broadcast frame would be trivial, assuming you know what frame/bit to look at, and assuming that it's running 500KHz CAN rate.

Do you want to keep the original incandescent CEL bulb, or would an LED be OK? The setup I have includes a LED, but would need a couple parts added to drive a higher current bulb.

 

[Chuck W]

That would be cool if you have something.
The 500KHz CAN rate should be correct and I'll have to dig into the what frame/bit to look for.

I was planning on using an LED.

 

[culberro]

Here to follow the thread. Canbus and programming is something I struggle to wrap my head around. I can diagnose canbus faults in cars, but implementing it in custom use cases is beyond me. Damned ADHD (I haven't gotten around to hyperfocusing on it yet...)
It would seem to me than an arduino with a canbus sheild would do it hardware-wise, but the coding is something I have yet to learn.

What parts do you find confusing?

 

[244tiCanuck]

What parts do you find confusing?

Not so much confusing, more that I have a learning disability that makes my brain fart every time I start trying to read up on it or watch videos about it. I will have to be in the right mindset, free of distractions to be able to absorb any of it. My experience with coding begins at BASIC and ends at Visual Basic, haha.

 

[RvolvoR]

you should concentrate on doing the can-sniffing work needed to know the address for triggering the CEL. Actually triggering it once that info is known can be done pretty easily through a variety of manners from there.

 

[culberro]

Not so much confusing, more that I have a learning disability that makes my brain fart every time I start trying to read up on it or watch videos about it. I will have to be in the right mindset, free of distractions to be able to absorb any of it. My experience with coding begins at BASIC and ends at Visual Basic, haha.

I get ya on that.

I had to learn CAN by being thrown into it and making it work.
Grab a usb to CAN tool, (p-can, or whatever) and start sniffing a network and see how things change.

You’ll need a hexadecimal converter which will help you make sense of the bits, as CAN uses hexadecimal system for numbering bits.