SmartCAN Pro - CAN Bus Analyzer for VS Code

Install SmartCAN Pro and start inspecting CAN data in seconds.

Overview

SmartCAN Pro brings CAN bus live monitoring, log inspection, filtering, and export into VS Code. It is built for automotive diagnostics, embedded development, robotics, industrial CAN systems, CAN reverse engineering, and high-rate CAN capture workflows.

SmartCAN Pro hardware is in active development. The extension can also inspect existing CANLOG01 capture files.

What is SmartCAN Pro?

SmartCAN Pro is a developer-friendly CAN analysis extension for working with SmartCAN Pro devices and CANLOG01 capture files. It provides a focused live table, transport status, frame counters, byte-change highlighting, file inspection, statistics, and export tools without leaving VS Code.

Key Features

• High-rate USB CAN live view for SmartCAN Pro devices
• Wi-Fi snapshot mode for quick device monitoring
• CAN ID and data filtering
• Byte-change highlighting for active signals
• Frequency, frame, and drop counters
• CANLOG01 file viewer
• CSV and JSON export for captured data
• Statistics, time-series, and signal-hunter analysis views
• Clear transport switching feedback
• Output-channel diagnostics for connection attempts and reconnects

Live Monitoring

Use SmartCAN: Connect to connect to a SmartCAN Pro device. The extension can discover devices over USB or Wi-Fi, then opens a live CAN table with transport state, logging state, frame count, FPS, drops, and power information.

The live view keeps the last visible rows on transient connection issues so the table does not blank during reconnects or transport switching.

USB vs Wi-Fi

USB High-Rate Mode uses the SmartCAN USB CDC protocol and binary SCBF live batches. This is the preferred mode for high-rate CAN monitoring when you want the most responsive live table.

Wi-Fi Snapshot Mode uses the device HTTP API for status and live snapshots. It is useful for quick checks, cable-free inspection, and device status review, but it is a reduced snapshot path compared with USB high-rate streaming.

Use Without Hardware

You can use the extension without a connected SmartCAN Pro device by opening CANLOG01 capture files. The file viewer supports inspection, filtering, statistics, time-series analysis, signal hunting, and export workflows for existing logs.

Use With Device

Run SmartCAN: Connect from the Command Palette. Auto discovery can try:

1. Last successful USB port
2. USB scan and SmartCAN handshake
3. Last successful Wi-Fi IP
4. mDNS host smartcan.local
5. Local 192.168.x.x subnet scan

Connection logs are available in View: Toggle Output, then select SmartCAN.

Python SDK

Automate SmartCAN workflows using Python.

The SmartCAN Python SDK provides:

• USB CDC and Wi-Fi transport access
• CLI tools for live monitoring, status, and capture
• Programmatic control for automation

GitHub: https://github.com/ameriuse/smartcan-python-sdk

Quick start:

git clone https://github.com/ameriuse/smartcan-python-sdk
cd smartcan-python-sdk
pip install -e .

Run:

smartcan --help

Note: PyPI package is coming soon (pip install smartcan).

Installation

Install from VS Code Marketplace: search for "SmartCAN Pro" and click Install.

Quickstart

1. Open VS Code.
2. Run SmartCAN: Connect to connect to hardware, or run SmartCAN: Open CANLOG file to inspect a capture file.
3. Use the live table or file viewer to inspect CAN IDs, byte changes, frequencies, and counters.
4. Use statistics, time-series, signal hunter, or export commands as needed.

Screenshots

USB High-Rate Live Monitoring

Wi-Fi Snapshot Mode

CAN ID Filtering and Byte Highlighting

Troubleshooting

• Open the SmartCAN output channel to review connection attempts, selected transport, IP or serial port, reconnects, and status summaries.
• If USB is not found, check cable quality, serial-port permissions, and whether another app already has the port open.
• If Wi-Fi is unreachable, confirm your computer is on the same network as the SmartCAN device. Check the device screen, router client list, or SmartCAN output channel for the current IP address. You can also try http://smartcan.local/api/status if mDNS is available.
• If the live table is visible but stale, check the state badge and retry with Reconnect.
• If CAN IDs are not changing, confirm the CAN bus is active and the device is receiving frames.

Support

For support, questions, or hardware interest, contact us via email or visit the website.

Email: ameriusebase@gmail.com

Website: https://smartcan.ameriuse.com

Roadmap

• Marketplace presentation polish
• More protocol-aware decode helpers
• Expanded export and report workflows
• Broader device and capture-file validation

Safety Notice

This extension is intended for CAN monitoring, log inspection, and analysis. Treat CAN systems as safety-critical. Do not connect to vehicles, robots, industrial equipment, or embedded systems unless you understand the bus, wiring, termination, and operational risks. Current live monitoring workflows are read-only from the extension perspective.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.txt.