CAN or Controller Area Network is a new serial communication language especially suited for networking "intelligent" devices as well as sensors and actuators within a system. As vehicles transition to more sophisticated electronic systems- to reduce vehicle weight and increase fuel efficiency, on-board computers will be required to handle significantly more data. (Electronic throttle control, steering and braking systems are three common examples.) CAN provides a much faster data link between the computer and each vehicle system, much as a DSL connection provides today's consumers faster data transfer than do dial-up Internet services. The EPA has mandated that all vehicles sold domestically be CAN-equipped beginning with the 2008 model year. It is projected that about 14% of all vehicles on the road will be CAN-equipped in 2008.

The following AutoXray Scan Tools and Code Readers are all CAN-equipped: EZ-Scan 5000, EZ-Scan 5100, EZ-Scan 6000, EZ-Scan 6100, EZ-Scan 4000, CodeScout 1500, and CodeScout 700