Real-time extension for CAN-interface boards of Kvaser

The Berlin company Kithara Software now collaborates with the Kvaser GmbH. Several boards (e.g. CAN-card PCIcan) now be actuated faster then ever.

For the last 25 years – with the beginning of CAN – the Swedish company Kvaser is dealing with solutions for the CAN technology. Kvaser provides different types of CAN interface cards. Kithara supports now a series of the cards with their »RealTime Suite« for Windows.

CAN interfaces of Kvaser are used in the automotive section predominantly and time-critical requirements based on Windows presuppose a real-time extension. Now, the developer can use the CAN-interfaces of Kvaser and high precision timer with priority-based preemptive multitasking up to 255 priority levels. The processing of CAN messages within the Kithara kernel driver allows a secure and time equidistant CAN communication as well as a quick real-time response on external events.

The data is being transferred over 2- or 4-port interfaces (e.g. the Kvaser PCIcan) and the caches buffer the CAN messages while sending and receiving over a simple to use and intuitional API. Special real-time message filters can be installed as well as error-handling routines for specific bus scenarios. A listen-only mode is also available. For ease of diagnose, the Kithara "Kernel Tracer" which you can use to tape-record the complete CAN-data transfer in micro-second resolution, was enhanced.

The users are happy about the manufacturer-independent API, because Kithara supports real-time boards of other manufacturers similarly. You can find a trial version with a full functional range and demonstration codes in our Download Center.