Vehicle Communication Software Suite Overview

The Vehicle Communication Software Suite, powered by Akkodis, helps you work with supported devices for automotive network applications and electronic control unit (ECU) design and validation. The Vehicle Communication Software Suite includes the Vehicle Communication Toolkit (NI-VCOM) and two optional software add-ons: the Vehicle Communication Measurement and Calibration Toolkit and the Vehicle Communication Diagnostic Toolkit. Refer to the following sections for more information about the software components included with the Vehicle Communication Software Suite.

Vehicle Communication Toolkit

The Vehicle Communication Toolkit (NI-VCOM) provides a LabVIEW API, a C/C++ API, and a custom device for use with VeriStand.

Use NI-VCOM with communication database files, such as AUTOSAR XML, to send and receive CAN, LIN, FlexRay, and/or automotive Ethernet signals. The signals send to and from NI-XNET supported PXI, PCI, CompactDAQ, and CompactRIO instruments. Not all NI-XNET API features are included with NI-VCOM.

Note NI-VCOM incorporates intellectual properties and products from Akkodis, such as PROVEtech Tool Suite.

Toolkit Add-Ons

The Vehicle Communication Software Suite includes the following optional toolkit add-ons, which you can use to expand your ability to communicate with real or simulated ECUs.

  • Vehicle Communication Measurement and Calibration Toolkit — Enables you to measure or calibrate an ECU through the CCP/XCP protocol by reading from and writing to the internal ECU variables and characteristics represented by ASAM (.A2L) database files. This toolkit is compatible with CAN and automotive Ethernet signals.
  • Vehicle Communication Diagnostic Toolkit — Gives you symbolic access to the ECU diagnostic data and services that are described in ODX description files and PDX files. This toolkit is compatible with CAN signals.

Supported Software Features

NI-VCOM offers base and full licensing options. You must have a full license to use the Diagnostic Toolkit or the Measurement and Calibration Toolkit. The following table lists a comparison of features between each option of NI-VCOM, the Diagnostic Toolkit, and the Measurement and Calibration Toolkit.

Table 1. Vehicle Communication Software Suite Feature Matrix
Features NI-VCOM (Base) NI-VCOM (Full) Diagnostic Toolkit Measurement and Calibration Toolkit
C/C++ API (Windows only) Included Included Partially included—Contact NI Partially included—Contact NI
LabVIEW API (Windows and NI Linux RT) Included Included Included (Windows only) Included (Windows only)
VeriStand Custom Device (Windows and NI Linux RT) Included Included — —
Web UI Database Viewer Included Included Included (.pdx only) Included (.a2l only)
Web UI Configurator Included Included — —
CAN and CAN-FD .dbc database support Included Included — —
LIN .ldf database support Included Included — —
CAN and CAN-FD .arxml database support — Included — —
LIN .arxml database support — Included — —
Automotive Ethernet .arxml database support — Included — —
FlexRay .arxml database support — Included — —
CCP over CAN — — — Included
XCP over CAN/CAN-FD — — — Included
XCP over TCP — — — Included
XCP over UDP — — — Included
XCP over FlexRay — — — Partially included—Contact NI
UDS on CAN/CAN-FD — — Included —

Vehicle Communication Software Suite Architecture

Figure 1. Vehicle Communication Software Suite Architecture


Vehicle Communication Software Suite Key Features

The components of the Vehicle Communication Software Suite contain the following key features.

Vehicle Communication Toolkit

  • Restbus simulation on NI-XNET hardware (CAN, LIN, Automotive Ethernet, FlexRay)
  • Multiple restbus simulation transmission modes for .dbc and .ldf databases (cyclic, spontaneous, event, etc.)
  • Signals to activate channel/node/message/PDU
  • Automatic calculation of different cyclic redundancy check (CRC) and counter signals
  • Manipulation of auto signals (counter, CRC, etc.)
  • Automatic calculation of AUTOSAR End2End communication protection profile
  • Network management
  • Signal multiplexing (explicit and implicit)
  • AUTOSAR multiple-PDU-to-container handling
  • AUTOSAR secure onboard communication (SecOC)
  • Message disassembly
  • SOME/IP support (service discovery, SOME/IP services)

Vehicle Communication Measurement and Calibration Toolkit

  • XCP over CAN/CAN-FD/TCP/UDP/FlexRay

Vehicle Communication Diagnostic Toolkit

  • UDS on CAN/CAN-FD based on ISO-TP