It has been a while since we released new functionality for the JCOM1939 Monitor software for Windows, but recent customer feedback inspired several improvements that make the software even more valuable during development, troubleshooting, and diagnostics. The latest update introduces two important features: Display of the CAN Bus network condition,…
Posts published in “Blog Post”
Blog posts to appear in Latest Posts.
Why We Created the J1939 Community If you work with SAE J1939, you already know that finding reliable information isn’t always easy. While the standard itself is comprehensive, applying it to real-world embedded systems, diagnostics, CAN bus monitoring, or software development often raises questions that aren’t answered by the specification…
Why the SAE J1939 Starter Kit Is the Best Choice for Learning and Developing Embedded J1939 Systems When engineers first enter the world of SAE J1939, they often ask a simple question: Should I start with a single J1939 gateway or buy the complete Starter Kit? While the SAE J1939…
Designing a CAN Bus device that performs well under ideal conditions is relatively straightforward. The real challenge begins when the network no longer behaves as expected. In the field, connectors loosen, ECUs lose power, messages are delayed, wiring deteriorates, and configuration errors inevitably occur. A robust CAN device must continue…
If you work with SAE J1939 long enough, there comes a point where generic CAN monitoring software is no longer enough. You need an application that is tailored to your own project, whether that means displaying proprietary parameters, automating diagnostics, logging data, testing ECUs, or integrating J1939 into a larger…
If you are serious about developing CAN or CAN FD applications, there is one tool that will save you more time, eliminate more frustration, and improve your software quality more than almost anything else: a professional CAN analyzer. Many engineers begin by connecting a microcontroller to a CAN network, sending…
When engineers troubleshoot a CAN network, they usually focus on the messages flowing across the bus. They check identifiers, decode data bytes, and verify timing. While that is certainly important, there is another source of diagnostic information that is often overlooked—and in many cases, it provides the fastest path to…
A customer recently asked me a seemingly simple question: “Can I use your JCOM1939 Monitor software with my existing IXXAT CAN-to-USB interface?” Although the question was specifically about SAE J1939, the underlying issue has nothing to do with J1939. It is a problem that has existed in the CAN Bus…
Developing an SAE J1939 application has traditionally required a substantial investment—not only in hardware and engineering time, but also in software. Commercial SAE J1939 protocol stacks are often expensive, frequently licensed per device, and in many cases remain closed-source. For students, hobbyists, researchers, startups, and even experienced engineers who simply…
One of the first questions engineers ask when starting with SAE J1939 development is: “Which hardware platform should I use?” The good news is that there is no shortage of choices. Over the years I have worked with numerous embedded platforms, development environments, and operating systems. They all have their…
