Messages and signals
Every message with its ID, DLC, transmitter and cycle time. Pick one to list its signals with start bit, length, byte order, type, factor, offset, range and unit. Search by name, ID or signal.
Open and read DBC files in your browser.
Open a CAN DBC file to read its messages, signals, bit layout and nodes. Parsed in your browser, never uploaded.
Drop a DBC file here
orOne or more .dbc files. They open in the workbench DBC view.
Everything a DBC defines, in one view.
Pick a message, then a signal. Every number the DBC uses to decode it is on screen.
Bit layout
An 8 × 8 matrix shows which bits each signal occupies in the frame. Overlapping bits are flagged, so a broken layout is visible before you decode a log.
Signal card
The conversion is written out as physical = raw × factor + offset, with the unit, range, receivers, multiplexing, comment, value table and attributes.
Nodes and network
See every node on the bus, which messages it sends and which signals it receives. Click a node to follow its traffic.
How to open a DBC file without CANdb++
Three steps in your browser. The DBC is never uploaded.
Add the DBC
Drop a .dbc file, or pick one from the opendbc library. GBK and GB18030 files are read correctly.
Find the message
Search by name, hex ID or signal name, then select a message to see its signals and bit layout.
Open a signal
Click a signal to read its formula, range, value table and attributes. Switch to Nodes or Network to see who sends and receives it.
When people open a DBC
Usually to answer one question about a network, quickly.
The OEM sent you a DBC
Suppliers usually get the network DBC from the OEM. Check which messages and signals it defines for your ECU before integration starts, without a Vector licence on your machine.
A signal decodes wrong
Compare the start bit, byte order, factor and offset with what you expect, and spot overlapping bits.
You are on a Mac or a locked-down laptop
It runs in any modern browser, so there is nothing to install.
You need to know who sends what
Follow a message from its transmitter to every node that receives it.
Have a log as well?
Open a BLF, MF4, ASC, CSV or candump log in the workbench and bind this DBC to its channel to plot the decoded signals. To use the data in MATLAB or Python, convert the log to MAT or CSV.
What it does not do
- The DBC viewer is read-only. It does not edit DBC files or save them back.
- It does not export the DBC to Excel or another format.
- Other database formats such as ARXML, LDF and FIBEX are not supported.
DBC viewer FAQ
How do I open a DBC file?
Drop it on this page or choose Open a DBC file. It opens in the browser workbench, where you can browse its messages, signals and nodes.
Is my DBC file uploaded?
No. It is parsed in your browser and stays on your computer.
Do I need CANdb++ or CANoe?
No. You only need a modern browser. CANdb++ is still the tool to use when you need to edit a DBC.
Can I edit the DBC?
Not yet. The viewer is read-only.
My DBC has Chinese comments that look garbled. What can I do?
Nothing. GBK and GB18030 encodings are detected automatically, so comments and value labels show correctly.
Does it show multiplexed signals and extended IDs?
Yes. Multiplexing is shown for each signal, and extended (29-bit) IDs are displayed with their hex and decimal values.
Can I decode a log with the DBC?
Yes. Open a BLF, MF4 or ASC log in the workbench and bind the DBC to its channel.
Open your DBC now.
Nothing to install, nothing uploaded.
More free tools
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