National Instruments PXI-8463 CAN Interface Module

The PXI-8463 (Part Numbers: 778780-02, 778780-01) is a single-port Controller Area Network (CAN) interface module designed by National Instruments. It has the Philips SJA1000 CAN controller for features including listen-only, self-reception (echo), and sophisticated filtering modes, which makes it easier to communicate with single-wire CAN devices. For smooth integration, the module comes with NI-CAN device driver software and new transceivers for sleep/wake mode.

The PXI-8463 guarantees dependable connection with NI data collection, vision, and motion devices thanks to its hardware timing and synchronization features. It complies with ISO 11898 for both standard (11-bit) and extended (29-bit) arbitration IDs, supporting 100% bus load at up to 1 Mb/s. By providing optical isolation up to 500 V, the module improves noise immunity and safety.

High performance and dependability are ensured by the PXI-8463, which has an Intel 80386EX CPU and directly executes CAN communications protocols on the interface device. To reduce the possibility of frame loss from OS activities, this microprocessor offers a specific environment for the execution of the CAN protocol stack.

In order to provide reliable communication in industrial settings, the PXI-8463's physical layer complies fully with ISO 11898 standards and is optically isolated up to 500 V. When connecting to the CAN bus, it makes use of a 9-pin male D-Sub (DB9) connection.

In multi-device systems, the module allows for coordinated operation by supporting synchronization among PXI, PCI, and PCMCIA-CAN devices. It is appropriate for many automobile comfort systems, including seat and mirror adjusters, because it can communicate at speeds of up to 33.3 kb/s (88.3 kb/s in high-speed mode) with single-wire CAN devices.

The PXI-8463 comes with NI-CAN software that provides the channel and frame application programming interfaces (APIs). For users who are unfamiliar with NI-CAN, the channel API makes CAN bus access via engineering units simpler. If users need more precise control over CAN bus communication, they can obtain lower-level access using the frame API.

For monitoring CAN bus traffic, the module includes the Bus Monitor utility, offering an intuitive interface to view and log all CAN traffic, along with options for controlling and displaying bus statistics.