Motec CAN bus

[jmjordan]

Our team is running a Motec ECU and we would like to use the CAN bus to make our own digital dash. I do not know much about CAN, but I have learned quite a bit. Does anyone know of a good site for getting to know CAN in this type of application. I am familiar with micro controller programming, but do not know how the Motec delivers the data on the CAN bus. Any help would great, thanks in advance.



Jonathan Jordan
Clemson Formula SAE

[Grant Mahler]

I would contact these teams.

http://fsae.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/125607348/m/29510512...10512531#29510512531 (http://fsae.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/125607348/m/29510512531?r=29510512531#29510512531)

[Pete M]

Ask motec. We use CAN pretty extensively and all the protocol info we have came directly from motec. It's worth a try at least, right?

[Ekasey]

I would start with getting the Motec Can information, which will include the packet ID's and addresses. From their you can determine which packets you will need/want to receive and which if any will need to be sent back to the logger. Then a simple software interface will need to be done to designate the packets to receive or drop etc.

that's kind of the basic idea, not quite that simple, we actually just designed an interface for a similiar task.

Can info into the box, current data stream we use goes out of the box to our dash, it was either that or retrofit one of our dashes with a new controller chip and someother bits

[chris coertse]

Has anyone had any luch yet with getting the Motec Can Protocal information. I also need to get hold of their Message Identifiers etc. We are working on a rally-car using a M400 ECU. We want to use this to switch various functions via an Ole Buhl Racing Power Control Module using CAN (switching of fuel pumps, radiator fans etc). Can anyone help. I have had no luck this far in getting any information from Motec directly????

[jmjordan]

I got in touch with Motec and I was able to get their serial protocol information. I ended up not needing to use CAN, but I could if I wanted to. The serial protocol and CAN protocol are the same. If you email them they will be happy to give it to you. You will need the Motec CRC32 Data protocol sheet.

Basically the way it works is the Motec sends about 100 bytes of data starting with hex values 0x82, 0x81, and 0x80. In the CAN system however, it sends all of the data in successive CAN messages all with the same identifier. The data in the CAN messages is in the same format. The first CAN message contains the 0x82, 0x81, 0x80 bytes with the data following in that message and the ones following.

Hope that helps.