Kvaser has introduced the PCIe 4xLIN, a compact four-channel LIN interface built to deliver “reliable, timestamp‑accurate LIN communication” and enable precise timing analysis and scalable validation setups.
Designed for desktop, industrial and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments, the low-profile PCIe card integrates galvanic isolation with synchronized timestamping, giving engineers reliable, system-level visibility when testing and debugging LIN networks.
The Kvaser PCIe 4xLIN provides four individually galvanically isolated LIN channels through a single PCIe card. FPGA-based Kvaser LIN-IP technology enables communication up to 20 kbaud with 1µs timestamp resolution, enabling developers to capture timing-sensitive events with high precision and improve visibility during debugging and validation. The interface also supports simultaneous operation with multiple Kvaser interfaces, enabling test setups to scale as system complexity grows.
Kvaser CCO Thomas Roberts said, “LIN continues to play a critical role in modern vehicle architectures, particularly as the number of distributed electronic functions grows. As systems scale, the challenge isn’t just accessing LIN data but in capturing and correlating it reliably across channels and interfaces. That’s exactly what the PCIe 4xLIN is designed to address.”
Faster integration with existing tools
The tool is fully compatible with applications built on the standardized Kvaser LINlib, and integrates into existing setups without requiring software changes. Applications developed for other Kvaser LIN hardware can run without modification.
The interface supports both Windows and Linux and works with the Kvaser CANlib SDK, which includes LINlib and other APIs, examples for C, C++, C#, Python, Delphi and Visual Basic. It is installed directly in a PCI Express slot and powered through the host system, reducing cabling and simplifying integration in compact systems and test racks.
Accurate, system-wide time synchronization
The tool supports Kvaser’s software-based TimeSync, helping engineers maintain synchronized timestamps across multiple devices and systems. In distributed test environments, this improves event correlation across LIN and CAN networks while reducing manual log analysis.
On Linux platforms, the interface exposes a PHC device for time synchronization to a host-referenced clock source, using standard tools such as phc2sys. This provides a robust foundation for synchronized logging, automated testing and accurate event analysis across connected systems.
Designed for demanding environments
The Kvaser PCIe 4xLIN has been engineered for industrial and embedded systems, and operates in temperatures from –40°C to +85°C. Its low-profile PCIe design includes both short and long mounting brackets for flexible installation.
A single 26-pin high-density D-SUB connector provides access to all four LIN channels, enabling compact system design. Typical applications include ECU development, automotive body electronics, HIL testing, multi-channel logging and industrial LIN communication systems.
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