No one would say that setting up an automated system with integrated controllers is easy, but that doesn't mean that you can't make it easier. CAN (Controller Area Network) bus controllers are becoming more and more popular in a wider array of devices. Originally CANbus was used by auto makers, like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Saab, Volkswagen, BMW, Renault and Fiat, but it was quickly adopted as a alternative in everything from home appliances to aviation systems to Automated machinery. A canbus I/O module can inexpensively control many devices at a high speed, and an tie together all of your processors into one manageable system.
While there are many canbus controller PCI cards, you can dramatically increase the flexibility and mobility of your CANbus deployment with a USB to CANbus adapter. One of the best values in the USB to CAN bus controllers is the Kvaser Leaf Light. The base model uses the 9 pin D-sub connector (similar to RS232) and at about 5 feet in length, (4 foot USB and one foot CAN cable) without extensions it provides lots of flexibility for design, testing, maintenance and programming. To take it one step further, the cable can be integrated in a "magic box" implementation and you can program your own user interface to control complex systems with a simple consumer-friendly USB connection to any standard computer.
The Leaf Light supports the high speed CAN physical layer and can process up to 8000 messages per second. While it doesn't support multiple device clock synchronization (other models do) you can run multiple USB to Can Bus devices off of a single computer, giving you limitless possibilities. Included is Kvaser's full SDK, with support for programming interfaces including CANopen, J2435, National Instrument's LabView and DIAdem, ATI's CANLab and Vision calibration applications and many more.
With Wide driver support and full compatibility with other versions of Kvaser's SDK, you can easily use the programming language of choice (C, C++, C# , Delphi and Visual Basic) and to simplify and expand your CANBUS implementation.