Use 2 x PCAN-USB X6 with python-CAN, problems when same channels names are used on both

[JanBo]

Hi,

We have 2 x PCAN-USB X6 connected to our framework.
When using only one, it works fine for with python-can, but if we add
an extra we cant distinguish between the two. Our framework does not know which is the correct to use.

Both have the same CAN IDs (1-6) from python-can point of view.
We have changed the IDs to 00 and 01, but that didnt help.
If using other tool, for example BusMaster this works ok

Have anyone used python-can with 2 x USB X6 or cant this be used with that module.
Any ideas how to solve it.

We set it up like this:

bus = can.interface.Bus(bustype=BUS_TYPE,
channel=CHANNEL,
bitrate=BIT_RATE)

Where channel is PCAN_USBBUS1-6
We want the other be setup as PCAN_USBBUS7-12

Best regards

Jan

[PEAK-Support]

We are not the maintainer from the "phyton-can" tools so you need to contact the developers / community for more details. We us our own API (PCAN-Basic) that could be used also with Python (running the CharDev driver - not the SocketCAN/NetDev driver)

[johntac]

Was there any resolution to this issue?

I plan to use 4 PCAN USB X6 units connected to a Linux PC and would prefer to use socketcan as the interface.

[PEAK-Support]

socket CAN should work fine - this thread was about the 3rd party API python-CAN ( which support our Hardware via Scoket CAN and aslo via CharDev/Windows API PCAN-Basic )
But we could not give any support for this API because it is not maintanaced from PEAK.

[johntac]

I plan to use python-can as my code will be written in python.

I do not have two PCAN USB X6 devices, but I connected one X6 and a PCAN-USB single channel interface. This configuration worked either with the single channel device connected directly to the PC or connected to the X6 device.

The X6 appeared as can0 to can5, and the single channel as can6.

Could somebody at peak-systems please test with multiple PCAN-USB X6 devices and verify that they can be controlled using python-can on ubuntu 18?

[PEAK-Support]

no, this is not possible.

As we wrote:

1. python-can is not from us - we also do not use it - ask the maintainer, or read their documents which driver type they support (Sockect or CharDev)
2. we have our own python CAN API using the PCAN-Basic Interface (CharDev for Linux) - and yes it works with up to 16 CAN Channels - also with X6 units.

[johntac]

Does your PCAN-basic support four PCAN-USB X6 at same time ie 24 channels?

I don't understand why peak-systems provides a socketCAN driver as part of the Linux kernel but then advises users to ignore that and install a chardev driver and PCAN-Basic. Could you please explain.

For my particular software implementation using socketCAN is an easier route and avoids the added complication of installing the chardev driver and PCAN-basic.

If you would care to provide me with three PCAN-USB X6 interfaces on loan, I will do the test for you.

[PEAK-Support]

Does your PCAN-basic support four PCAN-USB X6 at same time ie 24 channels?

NO, see Header files and description - max. 16 CAN Channels for one Device Type (means 16 x PCI / PCIe & 16 x USB etc.)

I don't understand why peak-systems provides a socketCAN driver as part of the Linux kernel but then advises users to ignore that and install a chardev driver and PCAN-Basic. Could you please explain.

Very simple:
1. the CharDev Driver was established at a time when socket CAN was not part of the Kernel.
2. Our CAN Driver could be compiled as CharDev and as SocketCAN - see manual - it is up to you - Kernel drivers are never be up to date -
3. We mainatnace also the SocketCAN Kernel driver - but, as i wrote - this versions are mostly older as our, available driver
4. Our CharDev Driver use our own API (PCAN_Basic) which we also offer for Windows - so Java, Python, C++ etc. could be used to build application that run on both systems...

For my particular software implementation using socketCAN is an easier route and avoids the added complication of installing the chardev driver and PCAN-basic.

This is up to you - if you have read the python-can manual - you have read that you could use the PEAK-Hardware in both modes - but as i wrote - it is your choice.
There are many python CAN libs avaialbale not only that LIB that you found - and also many C Libs, Java Libs, QT Libs etc...we could not support them - thats why it is open source - feel free to do..

If you would care to provide me with three PCAN-USB X6 interfaces on loan, I will do the test for you.

No thanks - as we wrote we are not able to support all other APIs - and if you use the SocketCAN all is good - you could use more as 16 Channels and could use USBX6 - our limit is the PCAN-Basic Implementation (which is a limit that we want exact as it is - feel free to use SocketCAN - with no limits )

many thanks for your friendly suggsetion - but we will close this post here - this have nothing to do with technical support - it ends up in a discussion - and we do not want to discuss here - we want to solve customer problems.