How to simulate a CAN bus network on Windows

1. Open a project

Install the Windows application and open a project from the Start page. The Start page is the hub: project, connection, EDS or DCF import, simulator, Object Dictionary, and documentation. It does not itself display live traffic.

If the device vendor sent an EDS or DCF, import it now. The Object Dictionary and PDO mapping then use real names. You can skip the file and still simulate raw frames, but the dictionary is harder to read.

2. Connect to Virtual CAN

Choose Virtual CAN when no adapter is plugged in. Virtual CAN needs no hardware. It is the right first connection for generators, a saved project, and a check that the nodes you are imitating behave as you expect.

Add the nodes the rest of the system will later see. Set the signals those nodes should produce. Text boxes are unlimited on every edition. Visual instruments are capped at 7 on the Trial and 15 on Light, and are unlimited on Professional.

3. Generate, then look

Start the signal generators. Open Trace for the frames. Open Live Graphs for values over time. Open the PDO monitor if the traffic of interest is process data. Open bus utilization if you want PDO, SDO, EMCY, and heartbeat counted apart.

Fault injection is there when the test needs a missing heartbeat or a bad value. Network Diagnostics, if a finding appears, names the node and a next step.

4. Move to a real adapter

When the bench is ready, disconnect Virtual CAN and connect a compatible USB-CAN adapter. Keep the project. The simulated nodes can stay in the project while the real nodes join the bus, which is the usual way to fill gaps.

The trial lasts 28 days and needs internet for the session. Light is $800 once. Professional is $1,400 once. CAN FD is not available in this release. When you return the next day, open the same project rather than starting again. The generators, the imported file, and the last connection choice are what the project stores. That is the habit that makes a simulator useful across a week of bring-up, instead of a one-off demo.

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