# item.guide
Side-by-Side Comparison Diagnostics & Protocols

DoCAN vs. DoIP

Comparing 2 standards across 13 specifications. 13 key differences identified.

Comparing:
DoCAN
DoIP

Diagnostics on CAN (DoCAN, standardized under ISO 15765-2 and ISO 15765-4) is the network and transport layer protocol that enables diagnostic protocols (such as UDS ISO 14229 and OBD-II ISO 15031) to transmit multi-byte messages (up to 4095 bytes) over 8-byte CAN bus frames. Managing packet segmentation, Flow Control handshakes, and block sizes.

View full DoCAN spec sheet →

Diagnostics over Internet Protocol (DoIP, standardized under ISO 13400) replaces slow serial buses with high-speed Automotive Ethernet (100BASE-TX, 100BASE-T1, 1000BASE-T1) using standard TCP/IP and UDP protocols. Operating over TCP Port 13400, it accelerates ECU firmware reflashing and over-the-air (OTA) software updates by up to 100× compared to legacy CAN bus.

View full DoIP spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

13 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Standardization
ISO 15765-2 (ISO-TP Network Layer) / ISO 15765-4 (Emissions CAN) ISO 13400-2:2019 (Transport protocol and network layer services)
Maximum Message Length
Up to 4,095 bytes (segmented across multiple sequential 8-byte CAN frames)
Single Frame (SF–PCI 0x0_)
Used when total payload fits in a single frame (up to 7 bytes in Classic CAN; byte 0 indicates data length)
First Frame (FF–PCI 0x1_)
First frame of a segmented message; bytes 0-1 encode the total 12-bit message length (e.g. 0x10 0x80 = 128 bytes)
Flow Control Frame (FC–PCI 0x3_)
Receiver sends Flow Status (Clear to Send), Block Size (BS), and Separation Time (STmin) pacing inter-frame delays
Consecutive Frame (CF–PCI 0x2_)
Transmits remaining data with a 4-bit rolling Sequence Number (0 to 15) to detect dropped packets
Emissions OBD Request IDs
Standard 11-bit functional broadcast ID: 0x7DF | Standard response IDs: 0x7E8 (Engine ECM), 0x7E9 (TCM)
Physical Layer
100BASE-TX (Standard twisted-pair Ethernet) or 100BASE-T1 / 1000BASE-T1 (Single-pair Automotive Ethernet)
Network Port
TCP Port 13400 (Diagnostic message transport) & UDP Port 13400 (Vehicle discovery and routing activation)
OBD-II DLC Activation Pin
Pin 8 on OBD port is driven to +12V or pulled down to wake up the vehicle's DoIP Ethernet gateway
Throughput Advantage
100 Mbps to 1 Gbps throughput, roughly two to three orders of magnitude faster than 500 kbps CAN bus for large ECU firmware transfers
Vehicle Identification Handshake
Vehicle Announcement Message broadcasts VIN (17 chars), Logical Address (2 bytes), and MAC address via UDP broadcast
OEM Deployments
BMW (ENET cable / ISTA), Mercedes-Benz (Xentry DoIP), Volvo (VIDA), Porsche, modern VAG platform (ODIS)