Kvaser BlackBird v2 User manual

Kvaser BlackBird v2 User’s Guide
Copyright 2011-2014 Kvaser AB, Mölndal, Sweden
http://www.kvaser.com
Printed Thursday 20th March, 2014
We believe that the information contained herein was accurate in all respects at the time of printing.
Kvaser AB cannot, however, assume any responsibility for errors or omissions in this text. Also note
that the information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed
as a commitment by Kvaser AB.

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Kvaser AB, Mölndal, Sweden — www.kvaser.com

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Contents
1 About this manual 3
2 Introduction 4
2.1 Welcome to Kvaser BlackBird v2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2 Major features of Kvaser BlackBird v2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.3 Additional software and documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3 Kvaser BlackBird v2 hardware 6
3.1 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.2 USB ................................... 6
3.3 CAN ................................... 6
3.4 Power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.5 LED indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.6 Use as a USB CAN interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.7 Use as a Wireless CAN Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.8 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.9 ERROR LED indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4 Appendices 10
4.1 Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4.2 CAN connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4.3 Updating the firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.4 CAN bus termination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5 Disposal and Recycling Information 14
6 Legal acknowledgements 15
6.1 Usage warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
6.2 Agency Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
6.3 USA ................................... 16
6.4 RoHS compliance statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
6.5 Patents, copyrights and trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
7 Version history 18
Kvaser AB, Mölndal, Sweden — www.kvaser.com

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1 About this manual
This manual is intended for Kvaser BlackBird v2 users. This document contains a
description of the hardware’s properties and general instructions for connecting the
device to a computer. The Kvaser BlackBird setup software is started from the
Kvaser Hardware program in the control panel.
For information about how to set up a WLAN connection to the Kvaser BlackBird
v2, see the Kvaser BlackBird Getting Started Guide.
Kvaser AB, Mölndal, Sweden — www.kvaser.com

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2 Introduction
This section will describe the functions and features of the Kvaser BlackBird v2.
2.1 Welcome to Kvaser BlackBird v2
Figure 1: Kvaser BlackBird v2
The Kvaser BlackBird v2 is a small, yet advanced, wireless CAN interface.
Configured via the USB interface, the Kvaser BlackBird v2 can be used as a
wireless CAN interface or as a USB CAN interface.
This guide applies to Kvaser BlackBird v2 devices listed in Table 1.
Device Product Number
Kvaser BlackBird v2 73-30130-00671-3
Kvaser BlackBird v2 OBDII 73-30130-00675-1
Table 1: Kvaser BlackBird v2 devices and its EAN numbers
Throughout this document, we use the name Kvaser BlackBird v2 to mean any one
of the different Kvaser BlackBird v2 products listed in Table 1, unless otherwise
noted.
Kvaser AB, Mölndal, Sweden — www.kvaser.com

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2.2 Major features of Kvaser BlackBird v2
•Wireless CAN interface
•Supports 802.11b/g/n
•Infrastructure and Ad-hoc mode
•Supports WPA2/WPA/WEP encryption
•Supports Kvaser REST API
•Can be either public or private.
•USB CAN interface
•Supports extreme data throughput and prevents bottlenecks with quick
reaction times and precise time stamping.
•Supports both 11-bit (CAN 2.0A) and 29-bit (CAN 2.0B active) identifiers.
•Large on-board RAM buffer for CAN messages
•Supports silent mode for analysis tools – listen to the bus without interfering.
•100 % compatible with applications written for other Kvaser CAN hardware
with Kvaser CANlib.
•High-speed CAN connection (compliant with ISO 11898-2), up to 1 Mbit/s.
•Fully compatible with J1939, CANopen, NMEA 2000 and DeviceNet.
•One USB 2.0 HiSpeed connection with data rates up to 480 Mbit/s while
being compatible with USB 1.x and USB 3.0.
•Power supplied through the CAN bus interface or the USB interface. The
device automatically switches between the CAN (primary) and the USB
(secondary) power supply, reducing the power drain on a laptop’s battery.
•Rugged aluminum housing.
2.3 Additional software and documentation
•Kvaser CANlib SDK, which includes everything you need to develop software
for the Kvaser CAN hardware. Includes full documentation and many sample
programs, written in C, C++, C#, Delphi, and Visual Basic. All Kvaser CAN
interface hardware shares a common software API. Programs written for one
device type will run without modification on other device types!
•On-line documentation in Windows HTML Help and Adobe Acrobat format.
•The latest versions of documentation, software and drivers can be
downloaded for free at http://www.kvaser.com/download/.
Kvaser AB, Mölndal, Sweden — www.kvaser.com

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3 Kvaser BlackBird v2 hardware
In this section you can read more about the installation, hardware, power supply
and LED indicators.
3.1 Installation
The Kvaser BlackBird v2 delivery package contains:
•Kvaser BlackBird v2.
•Software and Driver media containing Kvaser CANlib and drivers for
Windows; Kvaser BlackBird Setup Tool; Kvaser CANKing, an easy to use
CAN bus monitor; Drivers for RP1210A, LabView, and DIAdem; and Kvaser
CANlib Software Development Kit.
•Kvaser Quick Start Instruction.
After installing Kvaser Windows drivers, you may connect the Kvaser BlackBird v2
and Windows will install the appropriate driver.
The Kvaser BlackBird v2 may be inserted in any free USB socket on the host
computer.
For information on how to upgrade the firmware, see Chapter 4.3, Updating the
firmware, on Page 12.
3.2 USB
The Kvaser BlackBird v2 has a standard USB type “A” connector.
3.3 CAN
The Kvaser BlackBird v2 offers different CAN connectors depending on the model.
A 9-pin DSUB or a 16-pin OBDII connector. See Chapter 4.2, CAN connectors, on
Page 10 for details about the different connectors.
3.4 Power supply
The Kvaser BlackBird v2 can be powered from the CAN side or from the USB side.
The device automatically switches between the CAN (primary) and the USB
(secondary) power supply, reducing the power drain on a laptop’s battery.
Kvaser AB, Mölndal, Sweden — www.kvaser.com

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To operate the Kvaser BlackBird v2 as a wireless CAN interface, you must supply
power on the CAN side. To use the device as a USB CAN interface or to configure
the device, power on the USB side is sufficient.
3.5 LED indicators
Figure 2: LEDs on the Kvaser BlackBird v2
The LED indicators have somewhat different meaning depending on how your
Kvaser BlackBird v2 is being used – as a CAN interface or a wireless interface.
Table 2 describes the general purpose of each LED.
LED General meaning
CAN (Yellow) Status for CAN channel.
INFO (Orange) General Information.
ERROR (Red) Indicates temporary or permanent errors.
WLAN (Blue) WLAN status.
POWER (Green) Power and general status.
Table 2: LEDs on the Kvaser BlackBird v2
3.6 Use as a USB CAN interface
To use the Kvaser BlackBird v2 as a USB CAN interface; connect the unit to a free
USB port on your PC or USB hub.
When used as a USB CAN interface, the POWER LED will be
illuminated and the CAN LED will emit short flashes when CAN
messages are transmitted and received.
Kvaser AB, Mölndal, Sweden — www.kvaser.com

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3.7 Use as a Wireless CAN Interface
To use the Kvaser BlackBird v2 as a Wireless CAN interface, supply power through
the CAN connector and disconnect the USB connector.
When used as a Wireless CAN interface, the POWER LED will
be illuminated and the CAN LED will emit short flashes when
CAN messages are transmitted and received. When the WLAN
LED is constantly illuminated, the BlackBird is connected as a
CAN interface and the wireless communication is stable.
3.8 Troubleshooting
Use “Kvaser Hardware” in the Control Panel to verify that the computer can
communicate with the Kvaser BlackBird v2. If the firmware version shown is all
zeroes, there are communication problems.
If the LEDs are not flashing or illuminated at all, check the power supply.
For further troubleshooting, see the trouble shooting section in
the Kvaser BlackBird Getting Started Guide.
3.9 ERROR LED indicator
Sometimes the ERROR LED indicator can give more information about the cause
of failure.
ERROR LED Signal Auxiliary Signal General Meaning
Blink CAN LED blinks CAN channel is in error passive mode
Slower blink CAN LED blinks CAN channel is bus off
Short flash - Error frame detected
Table 3: ERROR LED Indicator Signals
A steady light on ERROR LED is used to indicate a variety of situations. Check the
other LED signals to identify the issue.
Kvaser AB, Mölndal, Sweden — www.kvaser.com

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LED Signal General Meaning
INFO LED 1 short blink CAN overrun
INFO LED 5 short blinks Major error
INFO LED 6 short blinks WLAN failure
POWER LED fast blink Software problems: configuration, parameters, firmware
Table 4: Steady ERROR LED Signals
Kvaser AB, Mölndal, Sweden — www.kvaser.com