Introduction to CAN Dragon
The CAN Dragon is a USB-to-CAN FD interface with built-in security features, designed for monitoring, transmitting, and logging CAN traffic in demanding environments. It is used together with CAN Dragon View software and is supported by the CAN Dragon SDK for custom applications on major operating systems.
Key Features
- USB to CAN FD interface with high-resolution timestamps
- Encrypted CAN communication with SPsec
- 500 V galvanic isolation on CAN and I/O
- Software-controlled CAN bus termination
- Hardware-assisted error injection
- microSD card logging and supercapacitor-backed RTC
- Four RGB status LEDs in a compact aluminium enclosure (90 × 55 × 16 mm, 88 g)
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| CAN interface | CAN FD |
| USB interface | USB-C, USB 2.0 device |
| Supply voltage | 5 V via USB-C |
| Maximum current | 500 mA |
| Isolation | 500 V galvanic |
| Logging | microSD card |
| RTC backup | Supercapacitor |
| Operating temperature | −40 °C to +85 °C |
| Enclosure | Aluminium |
Hardware Overview
CAN Dragon combines a certified security microcontroller with robust CAN FD and USB interface circuitry. The CAN port and GPIO lines are galvanically isolated from the USB side. High-resolution timestamps and a supercapacitor-backed real-time clock support reliable logging. Hardware-assisted error injection is available for test and validation scenarios. Four RGB LEDs provide direct indication of USB status, CAN activity, security state, and user-defined conditions.
CAN Connector (DB9)
| Pin | Signal | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ISO 5V | Connectable via solder jumper |
| 2 | CAN Low | |
| 3 | GND | |
| 4 | GPIO | 5 V out / max. 12 V in |
| 5 | Shield | Connectable to GND via solder jumper |
| 6 | GND | |
| 7 | CAN High | |
| 8 | GPI | Max. 12 V in; logical input for triggering and sampling |
| 9 | NC | Not connected |
Status LEDs
| LED | Function |
|---|---|
| USB / SEC / CFG | USB and security/configuration status |
| CAN | CAN bus activity |
| SECURE | Security (SPsec) status |
| USER | User or application-specific |
Software and SDK
CAN Dragon operates as a standard USB-to-CAN FD interface for monitoring, transmitting, and logging. The device is also supported by the CANopen Magic product line and by this SDK, which exposes the public EmSACAN.h C API and the EmSACANNET C# wrapper documented in the API Reference.
::note For complete electrical, mechanical, and regulatory details, refer to the official CAN Dragon Datasheet supplied with the product. ::