Glossary
CAN / PGN: Controller Area Network / Parameter Group Number
The vehicle network and the message-group identifier used in J1939-style communication codes.
Definition updated 2026-10-25 · Report a correction
What CAN and PGN mean
CAN stands for Controller Area Network. It is the serial network that lets controllers exchange messages without a dedicated wire for every signal. A PGN, or Parameter Group Number, identifies a group of parameters carried in a J1939-style message. The SPN identifies one parameter inside that group. A network code can therefore name a PGN, an SPN, or both, depending on the table.
In a diagnostic table, CAN-related rows often describe a lost message, a message timeout, a bus-off condition, or data that a controller received in error. FMI 9 (abnormal update rate), FMI 19 (received network data in error), and FMI 31 (condition exists) are common in that context, but the OEM label is what identifies the actual message or module.
How network codes appear
A network code can look like an SPN/FMI pair, a U-code, or a manufacturer-specific row. The archive does not assume that every U-code is a CAN code or that every CAN row uses a U-code. It keeps the printed format and the source chapter. Some tables name the message directly, such as a lost LCD-gauge-to-ECM message; others print a PGN and a short description.
The FMI reference lists the common network-related failure modes, and the code index can find a key by the printed PGN or message text.
PGN rows in this archive
The current data includes 50 PGN-related rows across 5 SPNs. Those rows are concentrated in a small number of model tables, including the RZR Pro XP group. The count is a property of the collected manuals, not a claim that every CAN message is documented.
A PGN is a message-group identifier, not a component. A code that names a PGN can point to a message that several controllers publish or consume. The model table and the source chapter are needed to see which module reported the row.
What a network code does not tell you
A network code does not identify a failed module by itself. A lost message can come from the sender, the receiver, the wiring, a power supply, or a bus condition. The archive publishes the printed label and the source, not a diagnosis. Use the model-year page and the module named in the source to narrow the context.
For the vocabulary around controllers, see the ECU / ECM entry. For the failure-mode side, see the FMI entry.