Vehicle Network Toolbox

Communicate with in-vehicle networks using CAN, J1939, and XCP protocols

Vehicle Network Toolbox provides MATLABfunctions and Simulinkblocks for sending, receiving, encoding, and decoding CAN, CAN FD, J1939, and XCP messages. The toolbox lets you identify and parse specific signals using industry-standard CAN database files and then visualize the decoded signals using the CAN Explorer and CAN FD Explorer apps. Using A2L description files, you can connect to an ECU via XCP on CAN or Ethernet. You can access messages and measurement data stored in MDF files.

The toolbox simplifies communication with in-vehicle networks and lets you monitor, filter, and analyze live CAN bus data or log and record messages for later analysis and replay. You can simulate message traffic on a virtual CAN bus or connect to a live network or ECU. Vehicle Network Toolbox supports CAN interface devices from Vector, Kvaser, PEAK-System, and NI^®.

What Is Vehicle Network Toolbox?

Laptop with a Simulink model on its screen connected to a vehicle through a wire, illustrating a CAN Bus Connection.

CAN Communication

Configure and establish connections to a CAN bus using CAN or CAN FD protocols then send, receive, encode and decode CAN messages. These messages can be logged for offline analysis and replayed in another Simulink model.

Log and Replay CAN FD Messages

Get Started with SocketCAN Devices

Documentation | Examples

Three Simulink windows showing how to acquire measurements from an ECU slave device. The model uses XCP Configuration and XCP Transport Layer blocks (top), and XCP Data Acquisition blocks (bottom right) to configure the acquisition of the PWM signal (bottom left).

XCP Protocol

Communicate with ECUs using the XCP protocol via CAN, CAN FD, or Ethernet. Read and write data to specific memory locations within the ECU, and link A2L files to perform calibration and measurement tasks.

XCP Protocol for ECU Measurement and Calibration

Documentation | Examples

Simulink model showing J1939 Transmit, J1939 Receive, J1939 Network Configuration, J1939 CAN Transport Layer Configuration, and J1939 Node Configuration blocks being used to set up J1939 communication over CAN.

J1939 Protocol

Set up communication via the J1939 protocol, including associating a database file, specifying CAN interface hardware, transmitting and receiving J1939 parameter groups, and encoding and decoding signal data.

Get Started with J1939 Communication in Simulink

Documentation | Examples

CAN and CAN FD Apps

Use the CAN Explorer and CAN FD Explorer apps to visualize active traffic on a specific CAN channel, decode messages and display them in engineering units.

CAN Bus Data Visualization with CAN Explorer Video (3:21)

Documentation | Examples

MATLAB Live Script showing how to access information stored in A2L files for use with XCP connections.

A2L Description Files

Use A2L (ASAP2) description files to communicate with ECUs over XCP protocol from MATLAB or Simulink. These files contain information about memory address, data type, and rules for converting stored values into physical units, simplifying calibration and measurement tasks.

Get Started with A2L files

Documentation

MATLAB Desktop showing the preview of an MDF file via the command-line interface and the data from the MDF file in the Variables editor.

MDF Files

Easily import and export MDF files, view basic properties, create MDF files, and write timetable data to existing MDF files. You can read in subsets of MDF files and create a datastore to work with large files.

Decode and Write CAN data to MDF files

Documentation | Examples

Virtual Channels

Use virtual CAN and CAN FD channels to simulate network communications in a loopback configuration without physical hardware. Use MathWorks virtual channels or those from third-party vendors like Vector and Kvaser.

Implement Distributed ECU Network over CAN in Simulink

Example

Vector CAN Database Files

Associate Vector CAN database files (DBC) with CAN channels or messages in MATLAB or Simulink to decode and encode CAN messages using application-specific names and scaled engineering units. Use CAN Pack and CAN Unpack blocks in Simulink to encode and decode CAN messages defined in ARXML files.

Use DBC files in CAN Communication

Get Started Accessing ARXML Files in Simulink for CAN Communication

Line plot of the simulation output for the ASAM.C.MAP parameter after using calibration data from a CDFX file as input to a Simulink model.

CDFX Files

Access data in ASAM calibration data format (CDFX) with the cdfx function provided by Vehicle Network Toolbox. Use calibration data from a CDF file as inputs to a Simulink model.

Documentation | Examples