Kvaser BlackBird User manual

Kvaser BlackBird Getting Started Guide
Copyright 2007-2011 Kvaser AB, Mölndal, Sweden
http://www.kvaser.com
Last updated Wednesday, 18 September 2013
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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Table of Contents
1About this manual .............................................................................................................4
2Installation summary ........................................................................................................5
3Driver installation ..............................................................................................................6
3.1 Installing the drivers .....................................................................................................6
3.2 Verifying driver installation...........................................................................................6
4Network operational modes .............................................................................................8
4.1 Ad-hoc mode................................................................................................................8
4.2 Infrastructure mode......................................................................................................9
5Configuring the Kvaser BlackBird................................................................................ 10
5.1 Starting the configuration program............................................................................ 10
5.2 Identifying your BlackBird.......................................................................................... 10
5.3 Selecting WLAN network .......................................................................................... 12
5.4 Setting WLAN keys and security............................................................................... 14
5.5 Network Setup and Device Name............................................................................. 17
5.6 Setting device accessibility ....................................................................................... 19
5.7 Save the configuration .............................................................................................. 20
5.8 Verifying the WLAN connection ................................................................................ 20
5.9 Supplying external power to the device .................................................................... 21
6Selecting the device from the network ........................................................................ 22
6.1 Starting the network selector..................................................................................... 22
6.2 Listing the devices on the network............................................................................ 22
6.3 Selecting the device you want to use........................................................................ 23
6.4 Starting the service ................................................................................................... 23
6.5 Verifying connection status....................................................................................... 24
7Using Kvaser BlackBird from your software............................................................... 26
8Configuring Host PC...................................................................................................... 27
8.1 Setting static IP on your PC...................................................................................... 27
8.2 Setting up an Ad-hoc network on your PC................................................................ 28
8.3 Connecting your PC to the Ad-hoc network.............................................................. 30
9Troubleshooting............................................................................................................. 33
9.1 Check the LEDs ........................................................................................................ 33
9.2 Check connected status............................................................................................ 33
9.3 Check Signal Strength .............................................................................................. 33
9.4 Check WLAN security settings.................................................................................. 33
9.5 Scan for networks ..................................................................................................... 34
9.6 Check IP number and network mask........................................................................ 34
9.7 Ping the device.......................................................................................................... 35
9.8 Connect to the built-in web server ............................................................................ 36
9.9 Scan for BlackBirds................................................................................................... 36
9.10 Add the device manually ....................................................................................... 36
9.11 Port numbers......................................................................................................... 37
9.12 Service status indications...................................................................................... 37
9.13 Disconnect USB cable........................................................................................... 37
9.14 Scanning will not detect devices on other IP networks ......................................... 37
9.15 Restart the service................................................................................................. 37
9.16 Check your firewall ................................................................................................ 37
9.17 Check for other programs running......................................................................... 38
10 Document revision history ........................................................................................ 39

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1 About this manual
This manual is intended for Kvaser BlackBird users. This manual contains a description of the
software setup programs and detailed instructions for connecting the device to a wireless
network. Basic knowledge about TCP/IP networks is assumed.

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2 Installation summary
This chapter summarizes the installation and setup steps, assuming infrastructure mode. You
will find detailed information about the different steps in the following chapters.
Install the driver package (3.1)
Connect your Kvaser BlackBird to the PC via the USB cable.
Start the parameter setting program (5.1) and configure at a minimum:
The WLAN network (5.3.1)
The WLAN encryption mode, authentication mode, and the keys (5.4)
Decide whether to use DHCP or a static IP number (5.5)
Save the configuration and verify that the WLAN connection works (5.7, 5.8)
Disconnect the USB cable.
Supply external power to the BlackBird (5.9). Check the LED indicators (9.1).
Start the network selection program (6.1)
The BlackBird should appear in the list; if not, enter its data manually (6.2)
Check Use this Device (6.3, 6.5)
The Found New Device wizard should appear; just walk through it
The new networked CAN device should now be visible in Kvaser Hardware (7)

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3 Driver installation
3.1 Installing the drivers
First, install Kvaser CAN drivers, version 4.0a or later. Version 4.0 is not sufficient.
After installing the drivers, you can plug your new Kvaser BlackBird into a free USB port on
your computer. If desired, a USB extension cable can be used.
The “Found New Hardware” wizard in Windows will now start. Complete it as usual.
3.2 Verifying driver installation
Go to the Control Panel and start Kvaser Hardware:

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Your Kvaser BlackBird should be visible in the list of devices.

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4 Network operational modes
The Kvaser BlackBird may be connected to a PC either directly, referred to as ad-hoc mode,
or via an access point (AP), referred to as infrastructure mode. The configurations steps are
not the same for these modes.
4.1 Ad-hoc mode
Wireless client
Wireless client
Wireless client
Area of direct radio visibility
In ad-hoc mode, you are connecting the BlackBird directly to a PC. Therefore, you must
assign static IP addresses to the BlackBird and to the PC.
If you are going to use ad-hoc mode, you should read chapter 8 Configuring Host PC and
configure your PC before continuing.
Ad-hoc mode is limited to a maximum speed of 11 Mbit/s (maximum speed required by the
IEEE 802.11 standard for ad-hoc mode). Still, 11 Mbit/s is likely enough for most real-world
one-way CAN traffic, as long as you are reasonably alone on the channel and there is not too
much radio interference.
Note that most network cards only support WEP-64 and WEP-128 encryption in ad-hoc
mode.

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4.2 Infrastructure mode
Firewall
TheInternet
CorporateIntranet
client
client
client
client
client
Basestation(AP)
If you are using an AP, you are connecting the BlackBird in infrastructure mode. In this case,
your network probably has a DHCP server running. If your network does not have a DHCP
server, you will need to assign your BlackBird a static IP address. You should consult with
your network manager to determine what IP address and Net mask should be used.

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5 Configuring the Kvaser BlackBird
Check that your BlackBird is connected via the USB cable to your computer and start the
configuration program.
5.1 Starting the configuration program
Start the Kvaser Hardware program and go to the Tools tab.
Press the Setup button in the Setup a Kvaser BlackBird box. This will start the Kvaser
Wireless Configuration program used to configure the BlackBird. The configuration will be
saved in the device’s flash memory.
5.2 Identifying your BlackBird
When you start Kvaser Wireless Configuration, you will be presented with a list of found
devices.

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Select your device in the list and click Next.
If you have more than one BlackBird in the list, you can identify a specific unit by the serial
number that is printed on the back of the unit. You can also identify a BlackBird by right-
clicking on it in the list and selecting "Locate Hardware (Flash LEDs)". The LEDs on the
selected device will now flash momentarily.
If your device does not show up in the list of devices, make sure you have connected the unit
properly to your USB port. Check that you have installed the drivers and that the Kvaser
BlackBird is recognised by the Kvaser Hardware program as described in 3.2 Verifying driver
installation.
The first time you connect to the device, the following message will appear:
Your Kvaser BlackBird ships without any passwords set. (If you decide to set a password, you
will be asked for it next time you connect to the device. In that case, enter the password and
click Finish.) For more information about setting a device password, see 5.6 Setting device
accessibility nedan.
Next, the following window will appear:

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Once you have connected the BlackBird to the computer and started Kvaser Wireless
Configuration, you will be shown the Status tab. If you have not configured a connection, the
display will show Connection Status as Disassociated.
5.3 Selecting WLAN network
You will now enter the name of the WLAN network you are connecting the BlackBird to.
Go to the Configuration tab.

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Make sure that Geographical Region is set to the correct value. This field ensures that the
antenna power and available channels are set according to the specified regulatory domain.
The built in Network Browser provides the easiest way to connect to a network. When using
ad-hoc mode, make sure you have performed the setup steps described in chapter 8
Configuring Host PC first. Press the Browse Networks button.
5.3.1 Currently Available Networks
This window accumulates all visible networks. To clear the list of obsolete networks, you must
close this window and then re-open it. Whenever a network is detected its signal strength is
shown next to the network’s name. In order to get a stable connection, the signal strength
should be better than -70 dBm (as a rule of thumb, -70 dBm is weak, -60 dBm is fair, -50 dBm
is good, and -40 dBm is strong).

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Wait for your network to show up among the Currently Available Networks. The scanning
process can take a little while, so please be patient. When you select the network you would
like to connect to, more detailed information about the network is shown in the right pane.
When using ad-hoc mode, make sure the PC is still connected (i.e. a time-out has not
disconnected the PC from the network).
Once the desired network is selected, click Select and you will be informed that some network
specific settings will be copied to your configuration setting. The copied settings include the
SSID value, the Operational Mode, and the Encryption Mode. The Channel will also be set to
Automatic. Click OK to allow the copying of these values.
5.3.2 Multiple APs in a network
You will notice that the same network is listed more than once if you have multiple APs within
range. You can identify a specific AP on a network by selecting the network and noting the
MAC Address shown in the right pane. Multiple APs within a single network may also use
different channels. The current channel is also shown in the right pane.
Normally you will be connected to the AP with the strongest signal strength within a given
network. You may override this by manually selecting which channel to use on the
Configuration Tab.
5.4 Setting WLAN keys and security
On the Configuration tab you now have a valid SSID, a correct Operational Mode and
Channel setting (most likely Automatic). In order to connect, you also need to specify the
Encryption mode used by the network. This is done on the Security tab.

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You can choose one of the following Encryption modes:
Open, or "plain text"
WEP (64-bit)
WEP (128-bit)
WPA with PSK (Pre-shared key) and TKIP encryption
WPA2 with PSK (Pre-shared key) and AES encryption
If you choose an encryption mode other than Open, you may also use the Passphrase button
to generate the encryption keys used. When using WEP, you should also specify the
Authentication algorithm used. If you don’t know what encryption mode to select, please read
the following sections or ask your network manager.
5.4.1 Open, or "plain text"
This Encryption mode means that all data is transferred unencrypted. This is only
recommended for initial setup or debugging connection issues.

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5.4.2 WEP-64 or WEP-128
When using WEP-64, you must provide a 40-bit-key in hexadecimal format (i.e. 10
hexadecimal digits). For WEP-128 you need a 104-bit-key. There is room for up to 4 keys to
be entered. You may also use a pass phrase to generate the WEP keys, see 5.4.6 Using
pass phrase to generate keys. Use the radio buttons to the left of the keys to select the key
that will be used.
5.4.3 About Static WEP keys
Some rules for setting up WEP:
The BlackBird must have one of the WEP keys specified on the AP in order to decode
data sent from the AP to the BlackBird.
The AP must have all of the BlackBird’s keys so the AP can decode transmissions
from the BlackBird to the AP.
The key must occupy the same slot on all nodes (AP and BlackBirds). For example, if
the AP defines abc123 as WEP key number 3, then the BlackBirds must define that
same string as WEP key 3.
5.4.4 Authentication algorithm
When using WEP encryption, you can choose the Authentication algorithm:
Open system means any station may connect to the AP whether that client station
has the correct WEP key or not. This algorithm is also used in WPA and WPA2
encryption modes.
Shared key authentication requires the client station to have the correct WEP key in
order to associate with the access point.
Even though a client station is allowed to associate with an access point, this does not ensure
the client can exchange traffic with that access point. A station must have the correct WEP
key in order to successfully access and decrypt data from an access point, and to transmit
readable data to the access point.
5.4.5 WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK
Both WPA and WPA2 use Pre-Shared Keys (PSK). WPA-PSK uses the Temporal Key
Integrity Protocol (TKIP). WPA2-PSK uses Counter mode/CBC-MAC Protocol which uses the
Advanced Encryption Algorithm (AES).
Note that if you connect the BlackBird to a network that allows both WPA-PSK and WPA2-
PSK, you must currently use WPA-PSK.
5.4.6 Using pass phrase to generate keys
Instead of entering the security keys in hexadecimal format, you may use a Passphrase. Click
on the Passphrase button and a Generate keys window will open. This window will allow you
to enter a pass phrase and select which types of keys you would like to generate.

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For WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK encryption modes, the key generation is based upon the
network SSID, so make sure that the correct network name is entered in the SSID field.
5.5 Network Setup and Device Name
We should now configure an appropriate Device name and choose an address assignment
method. This is done under the Network tab.

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If you are not sure about your network’s configuration, check with your network manager. In
infrastructure mode, the default selection of DHCP (automatic IP address assignment) will be
the desired selection. If your network requires a static IP address, you will need to manually
enter the IP address, network mask, and gateway IP address. When using ad-hoc mode, see
chapter 8 Configuring Host PC for details on how to set a static IP.
In the Device Name box, you can enter a descriptive name of the device. This name will be
visible when you browse the network using the tool described in chapter 6 Selecting the
device from the network.
(The Hostname shown for the BlackBird is derived from the Device name you have entered,
converting spaces and eliminating other illegal characters.)
Clicking on the Apply button will save the configuration to your BlackBird and restart it. You
may edit more than one tab before clicking Apply.

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5.6 Setting device accessibility
On the Network Accessibility tab you can optionally set two different passwords to protect
your device.
1. A network connection password. When set, it is required each time a PC tries to
connect to the BlackBird. This password prevents unauthorized network access to
your Blackbird.
2. A flash parameter password. When set, it is required each time you or someone else
wants to read or change the parameters in the flash memory of the BlackBird. This
password protects for example the WLAN access keys that are stored in the flash
memory.
If you forget your flash parameter password, you have the option to reset the password when
you connect the BlackBird. However, this reset will also erase all settings back to the factory
default values.

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The network accessibility can be set to any one of the following three modes:
1. Public. The device is visible to and usable by anyone on the network, and no
password is required to connect.
2. Protected. The device is visible in the network setup program, but it cannot be used
from a PC without supplying the network connection password.
3. Private. The device is not visible in the network setup program. Anyone who wants to
use it must know its network address and must supply the network connection
password.
5.7 Save the configuration
The device is now configured. Save the parameters to the device by clicking the Apply button.
The device will restart. After 5 - 10 seconds you should see the device trying to connect to the
WLAN in the status bar.
5.8 Verifying the WLAN connection
When connecting to the PC in ad-hoc mode, make sure that the PC is still connected (i.e. a
timeout has not caused the PC to disconnect from the network).
Return to the Status tab again:
The connection status should become Connected.