Kvaser U100P Advanced CAN Solutions
FAQs
Q: Can I use Kvaser U100P with applications that do not use Kvaser’s CANlib?
A: The Kvaser U100P is designed to be compatible with applications that use Kvaser’s CANlib. Compatibility with other applications may vary.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Copyright 2020-2024 Kvaser AB, Mölndal, Sweden https://www.kvaser.com Printed Sunday 18th February, 2024
We believe that the information contained herein was accurate in all respects at the time of printing. Kvaser AB cannot, however, assume any responsibility for errors or omissions in this text. Also note that the information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by Kvaser AB.
About this manual
This manual is intended for Kvaser U100P users. This document contains a description of the hardware’s properties and general instructions for connecting the device to a computer.
Introduction
This section will describe the functions and features of the Kvaser U100P.
Welcome to Kvaser U100P
Figure 1: Kvaser U100P
Kvaser U100P is a small, yet powerful, CAN to USB interface. It provides real-time transmission and reception of standard and extended CAN messages on the bus with a high timestamp precision, and is compatible with applications that use Kvaser’s CANlib.
This guide applies to Kvaser U100P devices using at least firmware and driver versions listed in Table 1. For minimum compatible firmware and driver versions of Kvaser U100P.
| Device | Product Number | Firmware | Driver (Windows/Linux) |
| Kvaser U100P | 73-30130-01174-8 | v3.24 | v5.36 (kcany/mhydra) |
Major features of Kvaser U100P
- USB CAN interface.
- Powered through the USB connector.
- Supports CAN FD, up to 8 Mbit/s (with correct physical layer implementation).
- Supports both 11-bit (CAN 2.0A) and 29-bit (CAN 2.0B active) identifiers.
- Supports silent mode for analysis tools – listen to the bus without interfering.
- Lightweight robust housing made of glass fibre-reinforced polyamide overmolded with TPE.
- Intuitive LED UI.
- Reinforced galvanic isolation. Tested according to EN 60335-1:2012 paragraph 13 with 5000 VAC rms applied for 60 seconds.
- Industrial grade temperature range, −40 ◦C to +85 ◦C.
- 20 000 msg/s, each timestamped with a resolution of 1 µs.
- Kvaser MagiSync – automatic time synchronization (see Section 3.3, Kvaser MagiSync, on for more details).
- Fully compatible with applications written for other Kvaser CAN hardware with Kvaser CANlib.
- Support for SocketCAN.
- Fully compatible with J1939, CANopen, NMEA 2000 R, and DeviceNet.
- IP67 rated housing.
Kvaser U100P hardware
In this section, you can read more about the CAN channels, power supply, and LED indicators.
Hardware installation
The Kvaser U100P may be inserted in any free USB socket on the host computer. You do not need to switch the power off before inserting or removing the device. For the Kvaser U100P to communicate with the host computer, a compatible version of the Kvaser driver and firmware must be installed. The driver is installed by running the file kvaser_drivers_setup.exe. For instructions on how to update the firmware, see Section 3.9, Updating the firmware, on. The latest version of the driver and firmware can be downloaded from www.kvaser.com/download. The firmware is downloaded and installed directly on the Kvaser U100P and the driver is installed on the host computer. After the driver has been installed on the host computer, the firmware may then be downloaded and installed on the Kvaser U100P.
USB connection
The USB connector for the Kvaser U100P is a standard USB-type Aconnector (see Figure 2).
Connect the device to your computer using any high-quality USB 2.0-certified cable. The maximum total USB cable length is 5 m (∼ 16 ft).
As USB cables become longer they are more sensitive to EMI, because they make a longer antenna that can pick up more noise. These issues can be mitigated by using higher-quality cables with better shielding. Thicker cables tend to be better than thin ones, and braided shielding tends to be more reliable than only foil. Furthermore, longer cables may introduce signal degradation and timing issues that, if necessary, can be mitigated using shorter cable segments combined with hubs that amplify the signal and handle delays on a per-cable basis.
Kvaser MagiSync
Time synchronization is needed to achieve accurate and precise time stamping between several host computer-to-bus interfaces connected to one host computer. Since each host computer-to-bus interface uses its on-board clock to set the time stamps.
Kvaser MagiSync is an innovative way to synchronize several different Kvaser USB interfaces. You do not need external cables – you get instant synchronization when you connect the MagiSync-enabled Kvaser USB device.
Figure 3: An example setup where all devices are synchronized via MagiSync.
For this to work the Kvaser USB interfaces must reside on the same USB root hub. If they do not they will not be synchronized, see Figure 3 and Figure 4. Usually, a computer has a USB controller with one root hub in a computer. If you use that one, you do not need an external USB hub to get your Kvaser Devices synchronized. The easiest way to verify the setup is to view Synchronized Hardware in the Device Tree of “Kvaser Device Guide” in your computer’s control
Figure 4: Not all devices are synchronized via MagiSync in this setup.
panel. If all your hardware is placed in one Kvaser MagiSync Group, then you are ready to go. When connected correctly, all units are synchronized achieving a high-precision virtual clock accurate to the microsecond.
CAN connection
The Kvaser U100P has one CAN channel. The CAN connector for the Kvaser U100P is the 9-pin D-SUB connector (see Figure 5) which has the pinout described.
| D-SUB pin | Function |
| 1 | Not connected |
| 2 | CAN_L |
| 3 | GND |
| 4 | Not connected |
| 5 | Shield |
| 6 | Not connected |
| 7 | CAN_H |
| 8 | Not connected |
| 9 | Not connected |
Table 2: Configuration of the 9-pin D-SUB connector.
CAN bus termination
Every CAN bus must be terminated with a 120 Ohm resistor at each end of the bus. The Kvaser U100P does not contain any CAN bus termination, because their inclusion could cause severe disturbance in a system which is already correctly terminated.
For laboratory or testing use, the exact value of the termination resistors is not always critical. Sometimes a single terminator is sufficient. For production, proper termination is essential. If you see error frames on the bus, you should check the termination.
To save yourself a lot of trouble, always terminate the CAN bus properly.
Power supply
The Kvaser U100P is powered through the USB connector. Make sure the USB power source can supply enough current (500 mA). If using a USB hub, choose an externally powered one to be safe.
LED Indicators
A Kvaser U100P device has two traffic LED bars where part of each LED bar is also used as a status area. The TX LED Bar has a status area towards the USB end of the bar, and the RX LED bar has a status area towards the CAN end of the bar. This is shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7: The TX and RX LED bars on the Kvaser U100P include status areas.
Different colors are used for different types of information and different blink patterns define the current state, see Table 3 and Table 4.
| Color | Information type |
| Yellow | Traffic |
| Green | Status |
| Red | Error |
| White | Alert |
| Blue | System |
Table 3: Different types of information.
| State | Definition |
| Off | The indicator is off and no light is emitted. |
| Slow Blink | The indicator is repeatedly turned on and off. The on and off phases are equal in time. |
| Fast Blink | The indicator is repeatedly turned on and off but with a higher frequency than Slow Blink. The on and off times are still equal. |
| On | The indicator is constantly emitting light. |
| Dynamic | The indicator is moving and/or increasing/decreasing in size. |
Table 4: Definitions of the indicator states.
Interface mode
The device is in interface mode when connected to a computer via USB. If the status area is presenting a steady white light, the device is in interface mode, working correctly and ready to be used. When connected to a computer for the first time, the status area will Fast Blink with blue light until the Kvaser Drivers are installed and the device has automatically received a USB configuration. The status area will change from white to green when going bus on. Table 5 summarises the information shown in interface mode.
| Description | Status area | LED bar |
| Power is on | On (White) | – |
| Waiting for USB configuration | Fast Blink (Blue) | – |
| CAN channel is bus on | On (Green) | – |
| CAN channel traffic | On (Yellow) | Dynamic (Yellow) |
| Error frame | – | Dynamic (Red) |
| CAN channel is error-passive | Fast Blink (Red) | – |
| CAN overrun | On (Red) | – |
| Firmware update | Slow Blink (Blue) | – |
| Locate hardware | Slow Blink (White) | Slow Blink (White) |
Table 5: LED inidications in interface mode.
The Kvaser U100P has one TX LED Bar and one RX LED Bar. Each LED Bar has a status area, the TX LED Bar has a status area towards the USB end of the bar, and the RX LED bar has a status area towards the CAN end of the bar. This is shown in Figure 7 on
The TX LED bar lit area grows from the USB end of the LED bar towards the CAN end of the bar as CAN TX traffic is increased. Likewise, the RX LED bar lit area grows from the CAN end of the LED bar towards the USB end of the bar as the message rate of the received traffic is increased, see Figure 8 on In this example the unit is transmitting data, which shows a yellow TX status area. No CAN traffic is received and thus the RX status area is green. The combined area lit by the TX LED bar and the RX LED bar is proportional to the current bus load, e.g. Figure 8 on shows only transmitting CAN messages
Figure 8: The TX LED bar lights up from the USB side to the CAN side of the unit, while the RX LED bar lights up from the CAN side to the USB side of the unit.
at 50% bus load. Figure 9 on shows two different bus load conditions. The image on the left shows the unit transmitting and receiving data corresponding to 50% bus load in each direction for a total of 100% bus load. The image on the right shows the unit transmitting data corresponding to 100% bus load.
Figure 9: The yellow-lit area of the LED bars is proportional to the bus load. Both images indicate a bus load of 100%.
Updating the firmware
For the Kvaser U100P to communicate with the host computer, compatible versions of the Kvaser CANlib (including driver) and firmware must be installed. The latest versions of firmware and drivers can be downloaded for free at www.kvaser.com/download. Connect the Kvaser U100P to your host computer with the USB cable and start the update.exe application. A window opens showing the Firmware Update Instructions; read and follow those carefully. To check the current firmware version, open “Kvaser Device Guide” which can be found in the Control Panel. Select “Kvaser U100P” in the tree view to the left, and click on the channel. The firmware revision information now appears in the right half of the window. The absolute minimum firmware and driver versions needed in order to use Kvaser U100P are listed in Table 6.
| Device | Min. Firmware Version | Min. Driver Version |
| Kvaser U100P | v3.22.578 | v5.31 |
Table 6: Minimum compatible driver and firmware versions of Kvaser U100P.
Technical data
In Table 7 below you will find the technical specifications of Kvaser U100P.
| CAN Channels | 1 |
| CAN Connector | 9-pin D-SUB |
| CAN Transceivers | ADM3055E (Compliant with ISO 11898-2) |
| CAN Controller | Built into the processor. |
| Galvanic isolation | Yes, reinforced. Tested according to EN 60335-1:2012 paragraph 13 with 5000 VAC rms applied for 60 seconds. |
| CAN Bit Rate | 10 kbit/s to 1 Mbit/s |
| CAN FD Bit Rate | Up to 8 Mbit/s (with correct physical layer implementation). |
| Time stamp resolution | 1 µs |
| Max message rate | 20 000 msg/s per channel |
| Error Frame Detection | Yes |
| Error Frame Generation | Yes |
| Silent mode | Yes |
| Kvaser MagiSync | Yes |
| Kvaser t programming | No |
| Kvaser CANtegrity | No |
| Host interface | USB 2.0, standard USB type “A” connector |
| Host OS | Windows (7 or later), Linux |
| Power consumption | Typical 250 mA |
| Dimensions | 38 x 128 x 26 mm for body |
| Cable length | USB 1.0 m, CAN 0.3 m |
| Weight | 170 g including connectors |
| Operating temperature | −40 ◦C to +85 ◦C |
| Storage temperature | −40 ◦C to +85 ◦C |
| Relative humidity | 0 % to 85 % (non-condensing) |
| IP Rating Housing | IP67 |
| IP Rating CAN connector | IP40 Mated |
| IP Rating USB connector | IP40 Mated |
Table 7: Technical Specifications
Troubleshooting
Use “Kvaser Device Guide” in the Control Panel to verify that the computer can communicate with the Kvaser U100P. If the firmware version shown is all zeros, there are communication problems. If the LED Bar or the status indication is not flashing or does not light up at all, check the power supply.
Safety Instructions
Intended Use
Kvaser interfaces are used to connect computer systems to CAN buses. The Kvaser U100P is intended for connection to a computer via the USB port.
Usage Warning
WARNING FOR ALL USERS
WARNING! – YOUR USE OF THIS DEVICE MUST BE DONE WITH CAUTION AND A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE RISKS!
THIS WARNING IS PRESENTED TO INFORM YOU THAT THE OPERATION OF THIS DEVICE MAY BE DANGEROUS. YOUR ACTIONS CAN INFLUENCE THE BEHAVIOR OF A CAN-BASED DISTRIBUTED EMBEDDED SYSTEM, AND DEPENDING ON THE APPLICATION, THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR IMPROPER ACTIONS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS OPERATIONAL MALFUNCTION, LOSS OF INFORMATION, DAMAGE TO EQUIPMENT, AND PHYSICAL INJURY TO YOURSELF AND OTHERS. A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS OPERATING CONDITION IS PRESENT WHEN THE FOLLOWING TWO CONDITIONS ARE CONCURRENTLY TRUE: THE PRODUCT IS PHYSICALLY INTERCONNECTED TO A REAL DISTRIBUTED EMBEDDED SYSTEM; AND THE FUNCTIONS AND OPERATIONS OF THE REAL DISTRIBUTED EMBEDDED SYSTEM ARE CONTROLLABLE OR INFLUENCED BY THE USE OF THE CAN NETWORK. A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS OPERATING CONDITION MAY RESULT FROM THE ACTIVITY OR NON-ACTIVITY OF SOME DISTRIBUTED EMBEDDED SYSTEM FUNCTIONS AND OPERATIONS, WHICH MAY RESULT IN SERIOUS PHYSICAL HARM OR DEATH OR CAUSE DAMAGE TO EQUIPMENT, DEVICES, OR THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT. WITH THIS DEVICE, YOU MAY POTENTIALLY:
- CAUSE A CHANGE IN THE OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM, MODULE, DEVICE, CIRCUIT, OR OUTPUT.
- TURN ON OR ACTIVATE A MODULE, DEVICE, CIRCUIT, OUTPUT, OR FUNCTION.
- TURN OFF OR DEACTIVATE A MODULE, DEVICE, CIRCUIT, OUTPUT, OR FUNCTION.
- INHIBIT, TURN OFF, OR DEACTIVATE NORMAL OPERATION.
- MODIFY THE BEHAVIOR OF A DISTRIBUTED PRODUCT.
- ACTIVATE AN UNINTENDED OPERATION.
- PLACE THE SYSTEM, MODULE, DEVICE, CIRCUIT, OR OUTPUT INTO AN UNINTENDED MODE.
ONLY THOSE PERSONS WHO:
- (A) ARE PROPERLY TRAINED AND QUALIFIED WITH RESPECT TO THE USE OF THE DEVICE,
- (B) UNDERSTAND THE WARNINGS ABOVE, AND
- (C) UNDERSTAND HOW THIS DEVICE INTERACTS WITH AND IMPACTS THE FUNCTION AND SAFETY OF OTHER PRODUCTS IN A DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM AND THE APPLICATION FOR WHICH THIS DEVICE WILL BE APPLIED, MAY USE THE DEVICE. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU CAN INTEGRATE THIS PRODUCT AS A SUBSYSTEM INTO HIGHER-LEVEL SYSTEMS. IN CASE YOU DO SO, KVASER AB HEREBY DECLARES THAT KVASER AB’S WARRANTY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE CORRECTION OF DEFECTS, AND KVASER AB HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY LIABILITY OVER AND ABOVE THE REFUNDING OF THE PRICE PAID FOR THIS DEVICE, SINCE KVASER AB DOES NOT HAVE ANY INFLUENCE ON THE IMPLEMENTATIONS OF THE HIGHER-LEVEL SYSTEM, WHICH MAY BE DEFECTIVE.
Disposal and Recycling Information
When this product reaches its end of life, please dispose of it according to your local environmental laws and guidelines. For information about Kvaser’s recycling programs, visit: https://www.kvaser.com/en/kvaser/recycling-policy.html
Legal Acknowledgements
EU Regulatory Compliance
EU Declaration of Conformity (DoC)
We
- Company Name: Kvaser AB
- Postal address: Aminogatan 25
- Postcode: 431 53
- City: M¨olndal
- Telephone number: +46 31 886344
- E-mail address: sales@kvaser.com
declare that the DoC is issued under our sole responsibility and belongs to the following product:
Product: Kvaser U100P
- Object of the declaration (identification of apparatus allowing traceability):
- Product: Kvaser U100P
- Type: 73-30130-01174-8
- The object of the declaration described above is in conformity with the relevant Union harmonization
- legislation:
- Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive 2014/30/EU (Art. 6)
- RoHS recast Directive 2011/65/EU (Art. 4.1)
- The following harmonised standards and technical specifications have been applied
- (title, date of standard/specification):
- EN 55032 (2015 + A11:2020) EN 55035 (2017 + A11:2020)
- EN IEC 63000 (2018)
FCC Regulatory Compliance
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Compliance Information Statement
IDENTIFICATION OBJECT:
- Product: Kvaser U100P
- Type: 73-30130-01174-8
APPLICABLE COMPLIANCE STATEMENTS:
- CFR Title 47 Part 15 §15.107, §15.109
- This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules.
- Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
- This device may not cause harmful interference, and
- this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
RESPONSIBLE PARTY (IN USA) NAME:
- Kvaser Inc.
- 23881 Via Fabricante, Suite 503
- Mission Viejo, CA 92691
- Internet contact: support@kvaser.com
Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks
All trademarks are the property of their respective owner. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. Adobe, the Adobe logo, and Reader are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. MagiSync is a trademark of Kvaser AB. DeviceNet is a trademark of Open DeviceNet Vendor Association, Inc. NMEA 2000 is the registered trademark of the National Marine Electronics Association, Inc. For information about Kvaser related CAN patents, see www.kvaser.com/patent.
Document Revision History
Version history for document UG_98224_U100P:
| Revision | Date | Changes |
| 1.0 | 2021-05-20 | Initial version |
| 1.1 | 2021-09-09 | Dropped mention of Hi-Speed CAN. |
| 1.2 | 2022-01-24 | Added connector types to the Technical Data section, |
| updated EU Declaration of Conformity. | ||
| 1.3 | 2022-04-01 | Minor textual changes, updated EU Declaration of |
| Conformity. | ||
| 1.4 | 2023-06-16 | Updated text about galvanic isolation. |
Kvaser AB, Mölndal, Sweden — www.kvaser.com
Documents / Resources
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Kvaser U100P Advanced CAN Solutions [pdf] User Guide U100P Advanced CAN Solutions, U100P, Advanced CAN Solutions, CAN Solutions, Solutions |
