What is a CAN view?

check it out at http://www.hybridinterfaces.ca/

I don't believe they have one for the 06 Prius.

 

what is CAN-view have a look at efliers website
www.hybridinterfaces.ca

if you have the new MFD no, if you have the old MFD probably yes. Best to check with him

 

From Hybridinterfaces information (CANView website):
The Toyota Prius is a radical departure from conventional vehicles. But 'radical' is rarely good for sales figures. In its determination to show that a Prius can be driven (and owned) by the average driver, Toyota has chosen a clean and simple approach which is unlikely to put off potential customers. Yes, it has a central display which gives a clue to what the hybrid powertrain is doing and yes, it displays fuel consumption in a way that is helpful for those interested.

But it ignores almost all the wealth of technical information that might be of interest to the more technically minded owner. For example, while it is true that you no longer need to see a tachometer in a Prius because the engine computer prevents any possibility of over-revving, that doesn't prevent some people from wanting to see engine RPM.

The OBD2 service connector mandated in every new vehicle also includes access to the CAN data bus. CAN is an acronym for Controller Area Network, the increasingly popular method of inter-device communication for modern vehicles. On the Prius, the messages available on the CAN far exceed minimum mandatory levels and include much more on the various operations of the hybrid system.

So 2 key items exist:

1) A source of information (the CAN bus on the OBD2 service connector)

2) A color LCD display device in the middle of every Prius dash.

CAN-view seeks to be the bridge between these two elements. It is a small electronic accessory which plugs in between the OBD2 connector and the central display connector. There are three microprocessors inside a CAN-view. The first listens to the CAN bus and decodes the information on it. A second talks to the Prius audio/visual controller and enables a pathway to the central LCD display The third generates a video signal suitable for that display.

Initially, each CAN-view was a fixed source of basic information about electrical and mechanical events. But it has evolved in recognising that one solution does not fit all. Current CAN-views now allow the owner to pick and choose what to display from a menu of available items. These personal preferences can be saved or changed at any time.

In addition, new features can be added that are available to existing customers by downloading new code over the Internet. These new features are often the result of feedback and suggestions from existing CAN-view owners. As a result, CAN-view has become more of an enthusiast club item than just another vehicle product.

For now , it's NOT available for 2006 models

 

What changed in '06 that makes the current can-view incompatible?
.
_H*

 

The mfd display has different connectors and digital I/O instead of analog. At least for the Nav equipped cars. I think I read some models still use the old display. Norms web site should have info on this.

 

Actually, I believe its the other way around: the older displays used a digital RGB input, but the new 2006 MFD has an analog video input. It *might* work if you have the base package, the 2006 without a camera. The manual shows a third MFD, which *might* still have the RGB input. But, who wants/has a base package car?
I'll bet he's working on some type of RGB-to-NTSC converter though!

 

From the can view web site:

They also do not work on the 2006 Prius (except the very basic model with the old screen) because Toyota has changed both the MFD and the NAV unit from analog to digital in the 2006 model. (Apart from the now-standard back-up camera which now goes in a new NTSC input directly on the new MFD)