Babel in a plastic enclosure

Babel

Advanced USB-CAN and UART-CAN adapter that can be used as a standalone device or as an embeddable module for OEM.

Babel is an advanced USB-CAN and UART-CAN adapter designed for use with Cyphal/CAN, DroneCAN, and other CAN bus protocols. It can be used either as a complete standalone tool, as a development platform for Cyphal-centric applications, or as an OEM component in larger systems.

Applications

  • General-purpose USB-CAN or UART-CAN adapter.
  • Diagnostic, monitoring, and development tool for Cyphal/CAN networks.
  • Generic CAN development board.
  • Programmable CAN unit in OEM applications.

Babel is primarily intended for Cyphal/CAN applications, although other CAN bus protocols are supported equally well. We recommend the Yakut CLI tool for use with Babel; however, there is a wide selection of software products that can talk with SLCAN adapters and therefore are compatible with Babel, too.

Features

  • Low latency. The overall latency between the USB port on the host system and the CAN bus is under 1 millisecond.
  • High throughput. The device handles over 5000 frames per second in either direction continuously.
  • Standard UCANPHY connectors.
  • Proper prioritization of outgoing CAN frames. The adapter schedules outgoing frames properly, avoiding the inner priority inversion problem in the transmission queue.
  • Large RX buffer allows the device to handle short-term traffic bursts without frame losses when interfaced via low-speed UART.
  • Embedded software-controlled 120Ω termination resistor.
  • The CAN bus can be powered from USB via a software-controlled bus power switch. This enables, among other things, easy testing and configuration of Cyphal/CAN-interfaced peripherals.
  • Quasi-standard SLCAN interface (a.k.a. LAWICEL) to the host system makes the adapter compatible with a variety of software products available on the market.
  • No drivers needed for Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux.

Testimonials

“My experience with Zubax Babel is very positive. It is helping me a lot to develop my projects, and is a very useful tool. Its simplicity and effectiveness are of great value. Thanks for your great product and communication protocol!”

- Marcel Lucas Fernandes de Siqueira (Electronics Engineer at Turbomachine)

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