DBC decode data

To analyse your data, you need to convert it to ‘physical values’. To do so, you need the relevant DBC file (CAN Database) with decoding rules.


Decoding an MF4 log file with a DBC file

  1. Load an MF4 with raw CAN/LIN data from the CANedge
  2. Select the Bus Logging tab and click ‘Load CAN database’ to load your DBC(s)
  3. Click ‘Extract bus signals’ to save a new decoded MF4 file

The decoded MF4 will be opened as a new tab - ready for e.g. plotting or export.


Automatically load your DBC file(s)

  1. Open ‘Managers/Bus database manager’ and load your DBC files
  2. Specify which channel each DBC should be applied to, then click ‘Apply’

Your DBC files will now be automatically loaded between sessions/files.


J1939, NMEA 2000, ISOBUS and OBD2 DBC files

Typically the CAN DBC is only known to the manufacturer (OEM), but exceptions exist:

J1939 (heavy duty vehicles, agriculture, maritime)

Most heavy duty vehicles today use the standardized J1939 protocol. This means that you can typically use a J1939 DBC to decode a large share of signals across vehicle brands. We offer a demo J1939 DBC and a full J1939 DBC.

NMEA 2000 (boats/ships)

Most maritime vessels combine J1939 networks (e.g. for engines) and NMEA 2000 networks (e.g. for GPS, water depth, etc). We offer a full NMEA 2000 DBC for this purpose.

ISOBUS (tractors/implements)

Agriculture and forestry machines typically use ISOBUS to enable plug & play communication between e.g. tractors and implements. We offer a full ISOBUS DBC for this purpose.

OBD2 (cars, light/medium/heavy duty vehicles)

Most cars/vans/trucks let you request OBD2 PID data, which can be decoded using our free OBD2 DBC.

Proprietary (cars, EVs)

Finally, for some cars/EVs, you can find reverse engineered DBC files online. We provide a number of these via our free OBD2 data pack and EV data pack.