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The Komodo GUI Software is a graphical application that allows users to access active CAN functions of the Komodo CAN Duo Interface. Features of the software include Activity Board Mode to interface with the CAN/I2C Activity Board Pro, Batch Mode to create and execute batch scripts to send arbitrary CAN packets, and General CAN Mode to send and receive data on a CAN bus.

Activity Board Mode

The Activity Board mode of the Komodo GUI Software is designed specifically for the CAN/I2C Activity Board Pro. This board provides known-good target devices that can operate as CAN nodes or I2C slaves to help developers test and debug their CAN and I2C systems. In the Activity Board mode, the application polls the CAN devices on the board and updates the GUI through its graphical widgets and a transaction log.

The interface includes 3 inputs: polling interval, display, and LEDs, and 4 outputs: light, temperature, joystick, and motion.

 

Polling Interval

The polling interval is the rate in milliseconds at which the application will poll the CAN/I2C Activity Board Pro for sensor updates (light, temperature, etc.).

Display

The text to display on the CAN/I2C Activity Board Pro LCD screen.

LEDs

The LED buttons toggle the on/off value of the CAN/I2C Activity Board Pro user-configurable LEDs. The LED buttons are arranged, top to bottom, in this order: LED 3, 2, 1. The order of LEDs on the board is, left to right, in this order: LED 3, 2, 1.

Light

The light intensity, as detected by the CAN/I2C Activity Board Pro light sensor. The more yellow bars, the higher the light intensity.

Temperature

The ambient temperature, as detected by the CAN/I2C Activity Board Pro temperature sensor. The more filled the temperature bar, the higher the temperature.

Joystick

The current position of the CAN/I2C Activity Board Pro 8-way hat switch (joystick). Filled green arrows show the direction of the joystick. A filled green center indicates that the joystick is being pressed into the board.

Motion

The 3-axis position of the CAN/I2C Activity Board Pro. Motion is represented via X, Y and Z axis bars and a visual representation of the board.

Targets on the board include:

• Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC)

  • DAC081C085 Single Channel 8-bit Digital-to-Analog Converter (NXP Semiconductors)

• Motion Sensor

  • LIS33DE3-axis Linear Accelerometer (ST Microelectronics)

• Light Sensor

  • APDS-9300Ambient Light Photo Sensor (Avago Technologies)

• Port Expander #1

  • PCA9554AD8-pin Port Expander with pins configured as inputs or outputs (NXP Semiconductors)

• Joystick, LEDs, and Port Expander #2

  • TPA511GLFS2-axis Joystick with five output pins (C&K Components)

    PCA9554AD Port Expander communicates the status over CAN and I2C (NXP Semiconductors)

• Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)

  • AT90CAN328-bit ADC on the AT90CAN32 MCU (Atmel)

• LCD Display

  • NHD-0208AZ-RN-YBW2x8 character LCD Display Module (Newhaven Display International)

• Temperature Sensor

  • DS75Digital Thermometer and Thermostat (-55°C to +125°C) (Maxim Integrated Products)

Check out our blog, Monitor and Transmit CAN Traffic Using the Komodo CAN Duo Interface, to get an example of how to record and playback CAN traffic using the Data Center Software and the Komodo GUI Software’s Activity Board Mode.

Batch Mode

The Batch Mode of the Komodo GUI Software is designed for creating and executing batch scripts in order to send arbitrary CAN packets. In this mode, the application monitors the CAN bus and displays CAN packets, events, and errors in the Transaction log. A batch script can be automatically created from the existing capture in the Transaction log by clicking the "Create Batch Script" button. The batch script language is based on Python which allows for the use of local variables and control structures such as if/else and for/while looping.

The Batch Mode application contains various field options to perform a batch script:

Batch Script Editor

The Batch Script Editor uses Python syntax where local variables can be defined, control structures can be used, and comments starting with a hash character (#) can be inserted.

Output Window 

The output window contains all the output generated from the script.

Transaction Log

The Transaction log is a scrolling log of CAN bus events, including CAN packets, errors, capture start, and capture stop. It contains the Timestamp, ID, RTR, DLC, and Data.

Execute/Stop

The Execute and Stop buttons allow users to start and stop the script.

Save/Load Batch File

The Save Batch File and Load Batch File buttons allow users to save a current script or load a script from file.

General CAN Mode

The General CAN Mode allows users to send and receive data on a CAN bus. Given a specific time interval, the Komodo GUI Software can send messages on a regular, periodic basis. All CAN packets, events, and errors are shown in the transaction log. With active CAN enabled, General CAN Mode also offers the ability to send arbitrary CAN packets.

The General CAN Mode contains various capabilities to send and receive CAN data:

Active CAN Node

The Active CAN Node checkbox enables packet ACKing on the Komodo port. When the box is checked, the application will acquire the Control feature from the Komodo port. When the box is unchecked, the port will act as a passive monitor (listen-only) on the CAN bus.

CAN Control

The CAN Control group box offers a way to send customized packets over a CAN bus.

Fields and other options include:

CAN ID

The packet destination node ID. For normal packets, the ID is the node to which the data is delivered. For remote requests, the ID is the node to which the request is delivered.

DLC

Data length code field. Specify the number of data bytes you wish to send here. The application also uses this value for the DLC field of the outgoing CAN packet.

Extended ID

If checked, the CAN packet ID field will be 29 bits, rather than 11 bits.

Remote Request

Check to make the CAN packet a remote request packet, instead of a normal data packet. No data will be transmitted in this mode.

One-Shot

If checked, the Komodo interface will only attempt to transmit the CAN packet once. If a delivery failure occurs, the packet will not be retransmitted. If one-shot is disabled, the default timeout of 10 ms is used.

Message

Enter up to 8 bytes of data in the message field. The data will be transmitted to the destination node, unless the packet is marked as a remote request. The highlighted data bytes, as determined by DLC and Remote Request, indicate the portion of the message that will be transmitted.

Send Message

Press the Send Message Button or Ctrl + S to transmit the CAN packet. If the CAN ID or DLC field entries are not valid, the packet will not be transmitted, and a red pulse will indicate the field needing attention.

Send Message Periodically

Offers a way to periodically send a message on the CAN bus.

Transaction Log

The Transaction log is a scrolling log of CAN bus events, including CAN packets, errors, capture start, and capture stop. It contains the Timestamp, ID, RTR, DLC, and Data.

GPIO Settings

The GPIO Settings dialog offers a way to configure, get current values of and set new values of general-purpose input and output (GPIO) pins.

Input

Each of the pins labeled with IN 1, IN 2, IN 3, IN 4 can be configured as an input by dragging one of the inputs from Configure Input section and dropping it on one of these pins. Digital inputs allow users to synchronize external logic with a CAN channel. Whenever the state of an enabled digital input changes, an event will be sent to the analysis PC and displayed in the transaction log.

Output

Each of the pins labeled with OUT 1, OUT 2, OUT 3, OUT 4 can be configured as an output by dragging one of the outputs from Configure Output section and dropping it on one of these pins. Digital outputs allow users to output events to external devices, such as triggering an oscilloscope or logic analyzer to capture data.

Watch our video on using the Komodo CAN Duo Interface with General CAN Mode in the Komodo GUI Software here: Using General CAN Mode in the Komodo GUI Software

For more information on how the Komodo GUI Software can be used for your own CAN projects, please email at us sales@totalphase.com.