NI now offers a (really) portable CAN module
National Instruments has not been a major actor in the field bus industry, but its rich platform and the versatility of the products are interesting when it comes to integrating such functionalities in a more global system (e.g. with data acquisition and/or visual inspection). Software-wise, the NI-XNET driver supports CAN (including CAN-FD and J1939), LIN and FlexRay with a single API. However, NI has made more significant progress lately on the hardware side of things, with the release of the USB-8502 and 8506 modules.
These modules are relatively small and they are powered over USB (so they can provide the bus power supply). They are an excellent fit for these monitoring and diagnostic applications, typically very portable and running on a laptop. These modules also come with at a cheaper price, now matching the competition.
To make the best of these modules, NeoCANView has been designed to answer this very application need. It is simple, intuitive and fast, and will connect you to a CAN network in no time. A great match between hardware and software!