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In today’s world of custom automotive builds, understanding electronic systems is just as critical as turning wrenches. Whether you're dropping a Hellcat into a classic muscle car, building an all-electric off-road beast, or blending modern ECUs into a vintage chassis, the key to success often lies in the CAN (Controller Area Network) bus.
This session is your fast-track introduction to CAN bus – what it is, how it works, and why it matters. We'll kick off with the fundamentals, then quickly shift gears into the practical side: reverse-engineering CAN signals, working with tools like sniffers and decoders, and solving real-world integration challenges.
You’ll learn tips and tricks for:
- Bringing analog sensor data onto the CAN bus
- Making factory instrumentation work with aftermarket or swapped ECUs
- Replacing clusters with custom or aftermarket dashes
- Integrating body control modules, climate systems, and more
- Integration alternatives when all else fails.
Whether you're working on a high-performance engine swap, an EV conversion or a restomod project with modern guts, this talk will give you the foundation and tools to confidently tackle network and electronics integration.
Agenda
6:30 Guest Arrival
7:00 Expect Brian Bourne to take attendees through practical tools for reverse-engineering CAN bus messages and gain valuable strategies for integrating modern electronics with various powertrains. You’ll leave with a solid understanding of CAN bus essentials and hands-on techniques for effective electronic integration in your build projects. Expect 75 minutes of content followed by a 15 minute Q&A session.
8:30pm: Event wraps
Costs
Members may register with up to one guest at no charge.
Public and/or additional Members' guest spots: $20.00 + HST