CAN Simulation Model for OMNeT++

What this model is

This is a CAN bus simulation model built for OMNeT++. It was prepared to support research and education on in-vehicle networks, timing behavior, and mixed CAN/Ethernet communication.

The model was used as a practical research tool when studying automotive communication systems and simulation environments based on OMNeT++. The source code is available on GitHub, and the experimental CAN-Ethernet gateway model is published separately on GitHub.

Main features

Simulation of CAN message transmission and arbitration behavior
Support for experiments on in-vehicle network timing and latency
Use in mixed CAN-Ethernet network studies and related evaluations
A foundation for research prototypes and classroom demonstrations
A CAN message router model is included so that CAN-CAN gateway behavior can also be simulated
Error frames of the CAN protocol were not supported in the released beta version

Tested environment (at original release)

OMNeT++ 4.4.1 or later; versions 4.4.1 and 4.6 were confirmed at the time
INET Framework 2.3.0 or 2.5
INET 2.6 and 3.x were reported to cause compile errors
OMNeT++ 5.x was unsupported in the released version

Useful external references: OMNeT++ · INET Framework

Installation instructions (archived)

The original project page included concrete setup steps, preserved here for reference. These steps describe the initial release structure and specific OMNeT++/INET versions, so treat them as historical instructions.

Download and install OMNeT++ and the INET Framework, typically under a directory such as `~/program/`.
Extract the downloaded archive and copy the distributed files into the INET tree.

0.1.0/src/* -> ~/program/omnetpp-4.4.1/inet/src/
0.1.0/example/* -> ~/program/omnetpp-4.4.1/inet/example/

$ cp -r 0.1.0/src/* ~/program/omnetpp-4.4.1/inet/src
$ cp -r 0.1.0/example/* ~/program/omnetpp-4.4.1/inet/example/

Move to the OMNeT++ root directory and set the environment.

$ cd ~/program/omnetpp-4.4.1
$ . setenv
$ ./configure

Build inside the `inet` directory.

$ cd inet
$ make clean
$ make makefiles
$ make

Example configurations

The following example directories were provided under `omnetpp-4.4.1/inet/examples/can/`. Each example can be run with `./run` (you may need `chmod +x run` first).

`bus1`
`bus2`
`messagerouter1`
`messagerouter2`

Screenshots

Archived screenshot of the bus1 example from the old OMNeT++ CAN model page — **`bus1`**
Simple CAN bus example with one sender and one receiver.

Archived screenshot of the bus2 example from the old OMNeT++ CAN model page — **`bus2`**
CAN bus example with two senders and one receiver.

Archived screenshot of the messagerouter1 example from the old OMNeT++ CAN model page — **`messagerouter1`**
CAN message router example for gateway-style communication.

Archived screenshot of the messagerouter2 example from the old OMNeT++ CAN model page — **`messagerouter2`**
Larger CAN message router configuration used in the original examples.

Distribution notes

The distributed source code was released as a beta version and may contain bugs. An experimental CAN-Ethernet gateway model is available separately on GitHub: can-for-omnet and can-ethernet-gw-for-omnet.

Related work

Keigo Kawahara, Yutaka Matsubara, Hiroaki Takada, “A Simulation Environment and Preliminary Evaluation for Automotive CAN-Ethernet AVB Networks,” OMNeT++ Community Summit 2014.
Jun Matsumura, Yutaka Matsubara, Hiroaki Takada, Masaya Oi, Masumi Toyoshima, Akihito Iwai, “A Simulation Environment Based on OMNeT++ for Automotive CAN-Ethernet Networks,” WATERS 2013.

Contact

Feedback on the simulation model is welcome. If you have questions, please contact the author by email.

Back to the research page

CAN simulation model for OMNeT++