Subbing in for the CANPlus…

Times have been tough in the EDR world if you don't have a tried-and-true CANPlus module in the arsenal. They were discontinued back in October of 2023, but were tough to get well before that.

So we’ve all had to make do… sharing modules, fending for units being sold on forums, and stalking eBay. Fellow recon Jason Zeitler burned some midnight oil and built us a solution. The Crash Pulse CDX VCI [vehicle communication interface].

He’s been working on developing the unit for years, and it’s finally available for sale at crashpulse.com. He was kind enough send me a customized prototype, and as you can see, it’s got a lot in common with the CANplus unit. I was happy to find that it makes the same relay clicks and all. I’m like Pavlov’s dog, when I hear that sound, I know valuable data might be coming my way.

It has another thing in common with the CANPlus, it works. In this 2026 SAE paper, Jason imaged 30 modules across ten brands with both the Bosch and Crash Pulse units and compared the results, leading him to conclude “that the CDX VCI is a functionally equivalent and technically reliable option for platforms that continue to require CANPlus-based communication with the Bosch CDR translation software.”

So, if you’re in need a legacy-compatible VCI, give the Crash Pulse CDX kit a look!

Thanks for reading, keep learning!

Lou Peck
​Lightpoint | JS Forensics​

P.S. I’m taking a couple weeks off with the family, so I’ll see you back here on April 17th. Hold down the fort!