Silent CAN
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How is the Kvaser USBcan Pro 4xCAN Silent ‘hacker proof’?
The Kvaser USBcan Pro 4xCAN Silent is a ‘listen-only’ CAN interface. It is used by developers of highly sensitive autonomous or safety-critical systems to ensure that the interface has no impact on the bus or surrounding systems. It is also selected to prevent any application or third-party, such as a hacker, from impacting the CANbus and its related systems through the Kvaser device.
In contrast to a CAN interface with software-implemented silent mode, the Kvaser USBcan Pro 4xCAN Silent is internally wired by hardware to be permanently silent. This means it is not capable of transmitting any CAN data frames, error frames, or any other frames, and it will not participate in the normal CAN protocol by transmitting an Acknowledge (ACK) slot after receiving a proper frame from another device. More simply stated, in ISO 11898 terminology, the Kvaser USBcan Pro 4xCAN Silent interface will never drive the CAN bus to a dominant state.
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What is ‘Silent Mode’?
Silent Mode in a Kvaser interface or data logger is implemented in two different ways that both bring the same results to the operation of a device on a CAN bus; as a configuration option, as in Memorator Configurations Tool software, and in hardware as in the Kvaser USBcan Pro 4xCAN Silent interface. Both configurations result in a device that does not transmit anything onto the CAN bus. This means it does not transmit any CAN data frames, error frames, or any other frames, and it does not participate in the normal CAN protocol by transmitting an Acknowledge (ACK) slot after receiving a proper frame from another device. More simply stated, in ISO 11898 terminology, a CAN device in Silent Mode will never drive the CAN bus to a dominant state.