JCOM.J1939.USB-B User Manual V 1.
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SAE J1939 ECU Simulator Board with USB Port
Monitor, Record, Analyze, and Simulate SAE J1939 Data Traffic
Copyright © 2020 Copperhill Technologies Corporation
https://copperhilltech.com
Table of Content
Table of Content ............................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 3
Features ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Board Components .......................................................................................................................... 4
Connecting the jCOM.J1939.USB Board Hardware ......................................................................... 4
CAN Bus Connection......................................................................................................................... 4
On-Board LEDs.................................................................................................................................. 5
Driver Software ................................................................................................................................ 5
Testing a Device with "Silent Mode" or Automatic CAN Baud Rate Detection? ............................. 5
JCOM1939 Monitor Software for Windows ..................................................................................... 8
JCOM.J1939 Protocol & Programming Interface ............................................................................. 8
Programming Under Windows, Raspberry Pi, And Linux ................................................................ 8
More Resources ............................................................................................................................... 8
2
Introduction
The JCOM.J1939.USB gateway board is a high-performance, low-latency vehicle network adapter
for SAE J1939 applications. It allows any host device with a USB COM port to monitor SAE J1939
data traffic and communicate with the SAE J1939 vehicle network.
The board supports the full SAE J1939 protocol
according to J1939/81 Network Management
(Address Claiming) and J1939/21 Transport Protocol
(TP). It is also supported by an extensive
programming interface for Windows and
Linux/Ubuntu applications, including full C/C++/C#
source code for short time-to-market
developments.
The strength of the board lies in the fact that the
entire SAE J1939 protocol, including all timing
requirements, is stored on-chip, thus taking the
burden off the main system. The board uses a USB COM port to communicate with the main
system, i.e., all data transfer is handled through a standard COM port access. The communication
protocol between the board and the main system is well documented and thus allows a porting
to any computer system with a USB connection. Working source code libraries exist for Windows
(C# under Visual Studio 2102/2013), Linux and its derivatives (C++ using Code::Blocks), and
Raspberry Pi (C using the standard gcc compiler).
With all its features, the jCOM.J1939.USB allows the simulation of an SAE J1939 ECU (Electronic
Control Unit) using embedded solutions such as the Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, Arduino, Teensy,
and others but also PCs running Windows or Linux (incl. Ubuntu, Fedora, etc.).
Features
• Fully SAE J1939 compliant hardware with on-chip SAE J1939 protocol, including
Transport Protocol (TP)
• Free-of-charge Windows analyzer software
• Monitor, record, and analyze SAE J1939 data traffic
• Simulate SAE J1939 data traffic
• Respond to message requests
• Define message filters
• Automatic node address negotiation
• Fully programmable per USB port
• Virtually OS independent
• Programming sample for Windows, Linux, and embedded systems
3
Board Components
Connecting the jCOM.J1939.USB Board Hardware
Connect the jCOM.J1939.USB board to any free USB port on your host system (such as a PC
running Windows or Linux, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, etc.). In most cases, the operating system
Windows, Linux, Raspbian) will recognize the new USB connection automatically, meaning there
is no driver installation required.
However, should that not be the case, please download the driver for your operating system as
indicated in below chapter Driver Software.
CAN Bus Connection
For the CAN/J1939 connection, the jCOM.J1939.USB board uses a 5-pin terminal connector. The
board also features an internal termination resistor of 120 Ohm, which is activated by inserting a
wire jumper in the terminal block (the jumper is installed per default).
The connections (from top to bottom; see above image) are:
• CAN_H
• CAN Termination Wire Jumper
• CAN Termination Wire Jumper
• CAN_L
• GND
4
Important! It may sound obvious, but it is, nevertheless, overseen frequently: You will need a
second SAE J1939 node (or an entire network) to check the board’s full functionality. The board
comes with a “heartbeat” function (i.e., a heartbeat message sent per USB every one second), which
indicates that the board is “awake” and working, but that doesn’t proof any SAE J1939 functionality.
On-Board LEDs
The jCOM.J1939.USB board comes with three LEDs:
• PWR – Directly connected to power.
• LED2 – Indicates USB port activity (including heartbeat message)
• LED1 – CAN / SAE J1939 activity
Upon powering up the board you will see the power LED plus the USB LED blinking with a one
second frequency (heartbeat).
Driver Software
The USB driver software supports a variety of operating systems as shown below. Most operating
systems, such as Windows or Linux, will recognize the USB port and install the appropriate driver
automatically. However, should that not be the case, please download the driver for your
operating system as indicated below:
• CP210x USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers…
Disclaimer: While the above link provides drivers for most of the popular Linux OS flavors, there is
no guarantee they will work on every Linux computer in the marketplace.
Updating the JCOM.J1939.USB-B Firmware
In order to update the firmware, please follow the steps as described here:
1. Check the Firmware Version Number
In the JCOM1939 Monitor Software, select the “Gateway” tab. Please make sure, the
communication with the gateway was initiated by clicking “Start COM” command button,
otherwise the gateway will not report the firmware version.
In the upper right position of the tab, check the Software Version number and verify it with the
newest version as documented on our Firmware Version & Update page.
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2. Download the Firmware File
In order to update the internal program (i.e., the firmware), we provide a .hex file that can be
loaded into the device directly per USB port (see the following steps).
Download the .hex firmware file…
3. Activate the Flash Programming Mode
Important! Activating the Flash Programming Mode per jCOM1939 Monitor software will only
work with firmware versions 1.10.00 and higher! If your firmware is lower than 1.10.00,
please use the ISP/RST jumper method as described in the following chapter.
Coming back to the same section of the JCOM1939 Monitor software: First, please assure that
the device is not connected to a running CAN/J1939 network.
Click on the “FLASH” command button. The program will prompt you to confirm the action, and
if you click “Yes” the following will happen:
The windows software will close, because it uses the same COM port you will need for
FlashMagic.
All three LEDs on the gateway will be on, indicating the flash programming mode.
4. Update the Firmware Using FlashMagic
The software (FlashMagic) required to load the firmware is a free download at:
http://www.flashmagictool.com/
Flash Magic is a PC tool for programming flash based micro-controllers from NXP using a serial
or Ethernet protocol while in the target hardware.
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The above image shows the settings you need to apply. The only difference in your setup would
be the choice of COM Port and the location and name of the .hex file.
Programming the Device
1. Connect the jCOM.J1939.USB device’s USB port to your PC (unless already connected)
2. Start FlashMagic and select COM port and .hex file location
3. Make sure that all other settings match those in the image above
4. On the jCOM board do the following (Not necessary when FLASH mode was activated
through the jCOM1939 Monitor software):
a. Close (i.e., connect) the ISP jumper
b. Close the RST jumper
c. Open the RST jumper
d. Open the ISP jumper
5. In the FlashMagic program click on Start
5. Reset the Gateway
After the flash programming process has finished, close FlashMagic, then reset the jCOM
gateway, either by shortly jumpering RST or initiating a power-cycle (removing, then re-
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connecting the USB cable). Shortly after reset, you should see LED2 blinking with a one-second
frequency.
Testing a Device with "Silent Mode" or Automatic CAN Baud Rate Detection?
If you need to communicate with an SAE J1939 node that starts up in "Silent Mode" or supports
automatic baud rate detection, please be aware that our USB device will not be able to recognize
it. You will be better off using our SAE J1939 Starter Kit as described above,
For more information, see How CAN Bus Automatic Baudrate Detection Works And What To
Consider When Connecting To A Network.
JCOM1939 Monitor Software for Windows
The gateway is supported by our free-of-charge jCOM1939 Monitor, an SAE J1939 Monitoring,
Analyzer, Recorder, and ECU Simulation software under Windows.
The program represents a complete tool to monitor, analyze, record, and simulate SAE J1939 data
traffic. It works in combination with our SAE J1939-USB gateways. The monitor software is a
comprehensive and easy-to-use, easy-to-understand tool that displays not only SAE J1939 data
traffic; it also allows scanning the network, simulating an ECU (incl. full node address negotiation
features), and responding to data request messages.
More Information…
JCOM.J1939 Protocol & Programming Interface
The jCOM.J1939 Gateway Protocol is designed to establish a data exchange between a
JCOM.J1939 Series gateway and a host system (e.g., a PC or embedded system such as the
Raspberry Pi) per means of serial communication (UART, USB). The protocol enables the host
system to take advantage of the gateway’s capabilities by providing a set of commands from the
host and responses from the gateway.
More Information…
Programming Under Windows, Raspberry Pi, And Linux
• Programming the SAE J1939 ECU Simulator Board Using Visual Studio C#
• SAE J1939 ECU Simulation And Data Monitoring Under Linux
• SAE J1939 ECU Simulator And Data Monitor for Raspberry Pi
More Resources
8
• Simulating SAE J1939 PGNs Used By Truck & Bus FMS (Fleet Management System)
Standard
• SAE J1939 Address Claim Procedure - SAE J1939/81 Network Management
• SAE J1939 Monitor Software - Setting Up PGN Simulation Such As Engine Coolant
Temperature
• SAE J1939 Simulator Generates Frequently Used SAE J1939 Signals (PGNs) For Diesel
Engines...
