Automotive Blackbox CAN Data Logger with SD [J1939, OBD2]

The CANedge has a number of features particularly relevant to black box logging:

This article takes outset in the CANedge1 since most often you'll want the lowest cost solution for black box logging. However, if you need to collect data from several devices frequently in the field, it may worth considering the CANedge2 with WiFi or the CANedge3 with 3G/4G.

The CANedge2/CANedge3 lets you auto-push log files to your own server, automating data collection and enabling over-the-air updates. You can learn more about the various CANedge options on our products page.

The CANedge is a versatile data logger, letting you record data from 2x CAN buses (incl. CAN FD) and 2x LIN buses in parallel. This means you're also able to log any CAN based protocol and thus use the CANedge as a J1939 black box, CANopen black box, OBD2 black box etc.

In terms of applications, this translates to a large number of assets. Practically any automotive today is CAN based, meaning cars, trucks, transit buses, scooters, motorcycles etc. But CAN is also generally used in e.g. production machinery, ships, aeroplanes, robotics, medical equipment and much more.

The CANedge lets you record the full set of raw CAN data from your application. This data will typically involve any data being used actively by the vehicle/machine. For e.g. automotives, this often includes speed, RPM, temperatures, pressures, fuel usage etc.

Note that to decode your data you'll need a DBC file (CAN database). If you're the manufacturer (OEM), you'll typically have this. The same goes if you're logging OBD2 data in which case you can use our free OBD2 DBC - or if you're logging heavy-duty vehicle data, in which case you can purchase our J1939 DBC file. For other cases, the DBC file is typically proprietary and decoding may be more of a challenge, though you can sometimes find information in online databases or by reverse engineering the CAN bus.

A vehicle blackbox can be used as part of an effort to personalize e.g. car insurance. This often involves the use of an OBD blackbox, which records information regarding the driver's behavior and adjusts the vehicle insurance policy based on whether the driver is e.g. speeding excessively.

In principle, this type of use case can be achieved via the CANedge2 with WiFi, although for private car insurance it might not be the ideal fit for an OBD2 blackbox. However, for more specialized vehicles such as heavy-duty commercial trucks, mobile cranes etc. the CANedge2 can be an ideal blackbox solution. Specialized vehicles like these typically utilize the J1939 protocol or fully proprietary CAN bus protocols, meaning that standardized OBD2 bluetooth dongles will not be useful as insurance blackboxes. Further, the CANedge2 is ideal for use in such vehicles that often operate inside/outside connectivity areas, meaning data has to be buffered in some periods on an SD card - and then later pushed to a central server.

For similar reasons, the CANedge2 is ideal for OEM warranty dispute handling, in particular for automotive OEMs. For sparring on this area, feel free to contact us.