Home Assistant without a broker
One entity per vehicle parameter, a location tracker from GPS and diagnostic sensors for the device itself. The integration finds WiCAN on your network, and from then on the device pushes.
In the manual
Flagship Open source firmware
WiCAN PRO
Advanced OBD scanner for next-generation vehicle diagnostics and Home Assistant integration.
$89 USD. Shipping $8 US, $18 worldwide at Crowd Supply.
- Dedicated OBD interpreter chip: every legislated OBD-II protocol, not only CAN
- ELM327 v2.3, ELM329 v2.2, STN and VT instruction sets, so existing apps just work
- Home Assistant integration with no broker and no companion app
- SAE J2534 PassThru for Windows diagnostic and reflash tools
- USB host port (5 V, up to 1.5 A) for ESPNetLink LTE and GPS, a USB Ethernet adapter or a GPS receiver
- microSD logging, real-time clock, multi-function button and wake-on-motion IMU
- Set up from a phone browser in about six minutes, firmware updated over the air
Works with
Home AssistantMQTT (Node-RED, Grafana, openHAB)RealDashCar ScannerTorqueOBD FusionBimmerCodeOBD Auto DoctorSavvyCANBUSMASTERSocketCAN / slcanABRPJ2534 tools
WiCAN PRO pairs an ESP32-S3 with a dedicated OBD interpreter chip, so it handles every legislated OBD-II protocol in hardware while the ESP32 takes care of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, logging and automation. It plugs into the OBD-II port and draws its power from there. The USB-C port is for flashing and debugging, and the USB host port takes accessories.
Setup runs in a phone browser: join the WiCAN access point, open the setup page, and Quick Setup walks you through Wi-Fi, Home Assistant or MQTT, your vehicle and power saving in about six minutes, with no app to install. Everything after that, from the CAN Monitor to the rules editor, lives in the same web interface, and the open source firmware updates over the air.
Capabilities
What it does
AutoPID and vehicle profiles
Polls the car for RPM, speed, temperatures or state of charge and turns the answers into named parameters. Community profiles unlock the EV and hybrid data that standard OBD does not expose.
In the manualTrouble codes
Reads the codes every ECU stores, shows descriptions from a code database and clears them on request. Scans can run on a schedule, and a new code can fire a rule.
In the manualTrucks and machinery
Listens to SAE J1939 broadcasts and asks for WWH-OBD (ISO 27145) emission data over UDS, both on the same bus at the same time.
In the manualData logger
Records parameters to the SD card as SQLite, CSV or JSON lines, and raw CAN frames as MDF4, Vector BLF, candump or ASC, with file rotation and a dashboard that reads the history back.
In the manualMQTT and data destinations
One MQTT connection with TLS for Node-RED, Grafana or a fleet server, plus up to eight push destinations, from HTTP and HTTPS endpoints to ABRP for EV route planning.
In the manualThe apps you already use
An ELM327 Wi-Fi adapter for Car Scanner and Torque out of the box, and a RealDash, SavvyCAN or slcan device over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth when you want one.
In the manualJ2534 PassThru
Diagnostic and reflash software on a Windows PC drives the car's CAN bus through WiCAN over USB, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, on CAN and ISO 15765 channels.
In the manualCAN Monitor and UDS Tool
A CAN analyzer in the browser laid out like PCAN-View, with DBC decoding, a trace and bus load, and a UDS tool that sends ISO 14229 requests by hand and decodes the answers.
In the manualRules and scripts on the device
When the battery drops, publish an alert. When a code appears, turn the LED red. Rules run on the device itself, and Berry scripts handle what a rule cannot say in one line.
In the manualUSB accessories
ESPNetLink for LTE and GPS away from home, a USB Ethernet adapter for a wired network, or a USB GPS receiver. The same port is a serial console and can make WiCAN a USB network device.
In the manualSleep and wake
Reads the 12 V battery. Below a sleep voltage for a few minutes it sleeps, above a wake voltage it wakes, with periodic wake-ups while the car is parked.
In the manualCompare
WiCAN PRO or WiCAN?
Both run the open source WiCAN firmware. WiCAN PRO adds a dedicated OBD interpreter for the protocols beyond CAN, a USB host port, SD card logging and encrypted connections. The OBDLink MX+ column is there for reference.
| Feature | WiCAN PRO | WiCAN | OBDLink MX+ for reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| USB and hardware | |||
| USB host interface | Yes | No | No |
| Dual USB to serial | Yes | No | No |
| Button | Yes | No | Yes |
| SD card logging | Yes | No | No |
| Connectivity and software | |||
| Interface | Wi-Fi, BLE, USB | Wi-Fi, BLE | Bluetooth |
| WiCAN firmware | Yes | Yes | No |
| WireGuard VPN | Yes | No | No |
| HTTPS | Yes | HTTP only | Not applicable |
| MQTTS (secure MQTT) | Yes | MQTT only | Not applicable |
| Home Assistant Nabu Casa | Yes | No | No |
| Firmware updates with the latest features | Full | Limited | Not applicable |
| Improved web interface | Yes | No | Not applicable |
| Additional reverse engineering tools | Yes | No | Not applicable |
| RealDash CAN protocol (pins 6 and 14) | Yes | Yes | No |
| slcan and SocketCAN (pins 6 and 14) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Protocols | |||
| Medium speed CAN, MS-CAN (pins 3 and 11) | Yes | No | Yes |
| GM high-speed J1962 (pins 12 and 13) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Single wire CAN, GMLAN (pin 1) | Yes | No | Yes |
| SAE J1850 PWM | Yes | No | Yes |
| SAE J1850 VPW | Yes | No | Yes |
| ISO 9141-2 | Yes | No | Yes |
| ISO 14230-4 slow and fast | Yes | No | Yes |
| Instruction sets | |||
| ELM327 instructions | v2.3 | Emulation v1.5 | v2.3 |
| ELM329 instructions | v2.2 | No | v2.2 |
| STN instructions | Yes | No | Yes |
| VT instructions | Yes | No | No |
| Price | |||
| Price (USD, before shipping) | $89 | $42 | $139.95 |
Prices in USD before shipping, as listed by each seller. Scroll the table sideways on a phone.
Specifications
What is inside
Processing
- MCU
- ESP32-S3
- OBD interpreter
- Dedicated OBD chip
- Serial
- Dual USB-to-serial, dual UART
- Instruction sets
- ELM327 v2.3, ELM329 v2.2, STN, VT
Protocols
- CAN
- ISO 15765-4, SAE J1939, ISO 11898 raw
- Other CAN
- MS-CAN, GM high-speed J1962, GMLAN single-wire
- Legacy
- SAE J1850 PWM and VPW
- K-line
- ISO 9141-2, ISO 14230-4 slow and fast
- Trucks
- SAE J1939 broadcasts, WWH-OBD (ISO 27145) over UDS
Connectivity
- Wireless
- Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz (access point and station), Bluetooth LE
- USB-C
- Flashing and debug
- USB host
- ESPNetLink, USB Ethernet or USB GPS, 5 V up to 1.5 A
- USB device
- Serial console, or a USB network adapter (NCM, RNDIS)
- Security
- HTTPS, MQTTS, WireGuard VPN, certificate sets
Diagnostics and tools
- J2534
- SAE J2534 PassThru over USB, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth (CAN, ISO 15765)
- Trouble codes
- Read, describe and clear, scheduled scans
- In the browser
- CAN Monitor with DBC decoding, UDS Tool, scripts, rules, file manager
- APIs
- HTTP API and BLE API for your own scripts and apps
Storage, sensors, power
- Storage
- microSD, parameters as SQLite, CSV or JSON lines, CAN frames as MDF4, BLF, candump or ASC
- Sensors
- Real-time clock, accelerometer, push button, RGB status LED
- Power
- From the OBD-II port only, not USB-C. Sleeps and wakes on battery voltage
- Dimensions
- To be confirmed
Documentation
Set it up, keep it updated
WiCAN PRO manual Every chapter, step by step, with pictures of what you will see. Quick Setup Plug in, join the access point, about six minutes to Home Assistant. Home Assistant Install the integration and see what you get. Vehicle profiles Pick a profile for your EV or hybrid, or contribute one. Firmware update One file from the web interface, over the air. HTTP and BLE API Everything the web interface does, from your own script or app. Firmware releases Tagged builds and changelogs on GitHub.
Goes with
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