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  5. Vehicle Communication Buses

Vehicle Communication Buses

NI vehicle communication bus hardware provides connectivity for Automotive Ethernet, CAN, LIN, and FlexRay networks, supporting applications like ECU characterization, validation, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation, bus monitoring, data logging, and automated control.

View Automotive Ethernet products
View CAN products
View LIN products
View FlexRay products
NI CAN, LIN, and Automotive Ethernet modules

What Vehicle Communication Bus Hardware Is Right for You?

Shop by Protocol

An NI Partner is a business entity independent from NI and has no agency or joint-venture relationship and does not form part of any business associations with NI. 

NI CAN, LIN, and Automotive Ethernet Modules

Flexibility in Form Factor

NI vehicle communication bus hardware offers options for USB, PCI, C Series, and PXI to provide the optimal price point, performance, and ruggedization for your application.

ADAS data record PXI system with multiple networking and video cards

Synchronization with Mixed I/O

NI vehicle communication bus hardware includes robust timing and triggering options for precise application control, easily synchronizing mixed analog and digital signals with communication interfaces.

PXIe, 4-Port, 100M/1GBASE-T1 PXI Automotive Ethernet Interface Module

XNET IP Stack

For Automotive Ethernet hardware, the NI-XNET driver provides its own IP stack independent from the OS IP stack. This architecture provides enhanced control and flexibility for test applications such as testing multiple devices in parallel with the same IP address.

Explore XNET IP stack options
Automotive Ethernet
CAN
LIN
FlexRay

Explore Related Categories

GPIB, Serial, and Ethernet
Industrial Communication Buses
Avionics Communication Buses

Additional Vehicle Communication Bus Products

Transceiver Cables
Vehicle Physical Measurement Bundle
Engineers meeting in technology research laboratory

Instrument Fundamentals Guide

Get the most out of your measurements by adopting these best practices in acquiring, generating, and interpreting analog and digital signals.
Download the guide

Vehicle Communication Fundamentals

Terminology

Controller Area Network (CAN) Protocol Overview
CAN Physical Layer and Termination Guide
Understanding CAN with Flexible Data Rate (CAN FD)
FlexRay Automotive Communication Bus Overview
Introduction to the LIN Bus Protocol
Specifications Explained: C Series Modules

Selection Guide

Choosing the Right CAN Interface for Your NI CompactDAQ or NI CompactRIO Application
NI CAN Product Compatibility and Feature Table
NI Support for Automotive Standards

Product Benefits

NI-XNET CAN, LIN, and FlexRay Platform Overview

NI Software for Vehicle Communication Buses

Selecting Vehicle Communication Bus Software


Program Automotive Ethernet, CAN, LIN, and FlexRay hardware using NI-XNET, with APIs for NI LabVIEW and text-based languages. Some bus devices work with NI FlexLogger™ software, and NI VeriStand supports HIL simulation.

NI LabVIEW

NI LabVIEW is a graphical programming environment that provides unique productivity accelerators for test system development, such as an intuitive approach to programming, connectivity to any instrument, and fully integrated user interfaces.

NI FlexLogger™ Software

NI FlexLogger provides sensor configuration and data logging of mixed signals to verify electromechanical systems, all without programming.

NI DIAdem

NI DIAdem is data management software for measurement data aggregation, inspection, analysis, and reporting.

NI VeriStand

NI VeriStand helps you validate hardware and perform embedded software test for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) applications.

NI Vehicle Communication Toolkit

The NI Vehicle Communication Toolkit works with NI-XNET-supported devices to handle Restbus simulation for automotive networks.

NI ECU Measurement and Calibration Toolkit

The NI ECU Measurement and Calibration (ECUMC) Toolkit enables measurement and calibration applications for electronic control unit (ECU) design and validation.

NI Automotive Diagnostic Command Set Toolkit

The NI Automotive Diagnostic Command Set Toolkit helps you design and implement automotive diagnostic applications for ECU production test.


Vehicle Communication Bus Resources

Download NI-XNET

Download driver for most vehicle communication bus hardware

Download a free trial of FlexLogger

Download no-code data logging software

Download a free trial of LabVIEW

Try LabVIEW for free

NI-XNET

NI-XNET Logfile Specification
Read in CAN, LIN, and FlexRay Data with the DIAdem Bus Log Converter
Migrating NI-CAN Applications to NI-XNET

NI-CAN

NI-CAN Error Codes
The NI-CAN Channel API
NI-CAN Logfile Specification
Group of partners working together in a lab

Get Help from an NI Partner

The NI Partner Program offers domain, application, and overall test development expertise to help your team get ahead and stay ahead. Connect with our global community of trusted NI Partners ready to give your business a competitive edge.
Find a partner

Frequently Asked Questions About Vehicle Communication Bus Products

  • Automotive engineers use vehicle communication bus interfaces to connect test systems to in-vehicle networks for tasks like hardware-in-the-loop simulation, bus monitoring, and automated control. This enables accurate validation of electronic control units (ECUs) and communication protocols under simulated real-world conditions.

  • Automotive engineers should consider the supported vehicle protocols (CAN, LIN, FlexRay, Automotive Ethernet), required data throughput for high-bandwidth signals, synchronization with real-time simulation systems, and seamless integration with HIL and test automation software. Scalability and deterministic performance are critical for validating complex ECU networks.

  • NI vehicle communication bus solutions deliver robust connectivity, deterministic timing, and seamless integration with NI-XNET, LabVIEW, and VeriStand. These capabilities enable automotive engineers to automate HIL test sequences, monitor and log network traffic, and perform advanced ECU validation and protocol analysis efficiently.