A small bridge between metal and software.
The adapter does one job well: read the CAN bus and hand it to your phone, securely and in real time.
Plug it in once. Forget it is there.
No wiring, no teardown. The adapter sits in the OBD-II port, sleeps when the car sleeps, and wakes the instant you do.
From port to phone in four steps.
OBD-II
Plugs into the standard diagnostic port under the dash.
CAN bus
Reads and writes the vehicle network the ECUs already speak.
BLE bridge
Streams decoded frames to the phone with low latency.
Nexus
Your car shows up as live, controllable software.
Three tiers. Choose how deep you go.
CAN Opener ships in three versions, so you can pick the level of vehicle connectivity that fits your project — from essential CAN access to advanced expansion and always-connected monitoring.
Standard
Essential CAN connectivity.
The core CAN Opener experience in a compact, easy-to-use package. Plug into the OBD-II port for two CAN FD channels over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth — ideal for diagnostics, CAN experimentation, and everyday vehicle projects.
- 2× CAN FD channels — OBD-II pins 3/11 and 6/14
- Powered from OBD-II pin 16 (12–24V input)
- ESP32-C5 with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE
- 1× addressable RGB status LED
- USB-C interface
Premium
Most capableMore vehicle interfaces. More ways to expand.
Everything in Standard, plus LIN and GMLAN support for vehicle systems outside the standard CAN networks, an onboard IMU for motion and tilt detection, and expansion headers for sensors and local logging.
- 2× LIN — OBD-II pins 7/15, 1× GMLAN interface
- Onboard IMU for motion and tilt detection
- Onboard temperature sensor
- 1× Qwiic expansion connector, parallel CAN headers
- SD card reader for local data logging
- 5V USB power output while powered from OBD-II
Pro
Your vehicle, connected from anywhere.
Everything in Premium, plus independent cellular and GPS connectivity — so you can monitor a vehicle remotely without relying on a phone or nearby Wi-Fi, and build applications around live, always-on vehicle data.
- Integrated cellular connectivity and GPS
- Independent remote vehicle connectivity
- Remote live-data monitoring
- Additional SPI and UART expansion
- Microphone (to detect break-ins)
- Support for advanced peripherals, including smart cameras
Standard, Premium, and Pro all ship from the same campaign.
Built to survive the underside of a dashboard.
Every CAN Opener ships unlocked, so you can write your own software for the device. For its specs and price, it holds up well against anything else in the DIY automotive space.
The short version.
- INTERFACE
- OBD-II (SAE J1962)
- BUS
- CAN 2.0A / 2.0B
- LINK
- Bluetooth Low Energy
- POWER
- Vehicle 12V, deep-sleep idle
- FIRMWARE
- OTA updatable
- FOOTPRINT
- Flush, always-connected