Diagnosing & Analyzing Marine Engine via CAN Bus Data & Python
Case Studies / Cox Powertrain
Cox Powertrain
Cox focuses on the development of ultra-lightweight diesel engines like the CXO300 - a high powered, diesel outboard engine. Production began in May 2020 - and the CXO300 is already becoming hugely popular.
What problem did you solve?
Due to the challenges of developing an innovative diesel outboard, we needed to comprehensively capture the CAN bus data on our fleet of test vessels. We wanted something which would be unobtrusive on the bus, but also capture all the data available. The CANedge1 device worked perfectly for this and allowed us to run our test vessels and log data which could then be easily reviewed in the event of an issue. The ability to control what is logged (and trigger logging on an event) was also really handy for us.
How did you solve it?
We were able to easily install some CANedge1 devices on our test vessels in some protective cases to capture data. We then used the Python API and example scripts to convert the captured CAN bus data to physical values. This allowed us to easily see what was going on in the CAN bus at specific points during testing - and it gave us new insight into the communication between control devices. In the long term we intend to build on this and develop sophisticated analytics to learn all we can from our development testing.
"The CANedge1 is a fantastic device, giving us easy access to our test data at an affordable price. The support is excellent as well!"
What benefit has this led to?
The data that the CANedge1 has given us access to has been extremely helpful in diagnosing issues and developing products. Rather than relying on anecdotal data we can now see exactly what happened and when. This has accelerated our testing and improved our analysis of the results.
Why did you choose the CANedge1?
The CANedge1 offered a lot of functionality at an affordable price. The benefit of having the data in a raw form was actually a huge benefit to us as we already had Python expertise in the business. Rather than trying to learn a new suite of programming tools, the data could be accessed and manipulated to show what we wanted straight away.
— Toby Morgan, Systems Engineer, Cox Powertrain
Ready to log your maritime CAN data?
Get your CAN logger today!
