UNIT 3

COMMUNICATIONS FOR SMART SENSORS

COMMUNICATION AREA NETWORK PROTOCOL (CAN)

The Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol is a communication protocol that was
developed for use in the automotive industry, but has also been used in other industries
such as industrial automation and medical equipment. It is a serial communication
protocol that uses a multi-master, distributed control system. This means that any
device on the network, called a node, can initiate communication and all other nodes
on the network can participate in the communication. The protocol provides a way for
devices to share information and synchronize their actions without the need for a
central controller. The protocol uses a collision detection and arbitration method to
prevent multiple nodes from transmitting at the same time and ensure that only one
node can transmit at a time.

Why CAN?

The CAN protocol was developed for use in the automotive industry to address several
challenges that arose as cars became more complex and incorporated more electronic
systems. Some of the key reasons for why the CAN protocol was developed include −

• High reliability − The CAN protocol is designed to be robust and fault-tolerant,

making it suitable for use in critical systems such as the engine control and
braking systems in a car.
• Low cost − The CAN protocol uses a simple and efficient signaling method that
allows for low-cost implementation, which is particularly important in the
automotive industry where costs are a major concern.
• Low weight and minimal wiring − The CAN protocol uses a two-wire bus,
which reduces the amount of wiring needed in a car and makes the vehicle
lighter, which can lead to improved fuel efficiency.
• Scalability − The CAN protocol is designed to support a large number of
devices on a network, making it easy to add new devices or remove existing
ones as needed.
• Multi-master capability − The ability of the any device (node) to initiate
communication in the network, this allows different systems to communicate
and act upon their requirement and also enables distributed control which is a
major feature of this protocol.
Applications of CAN protocol

The Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol is widely used in a variety of

applications, including −

• Automotive − The CAN protocol was originally developed for use in the
automotive industry and is used in a wide variety of systems in modern cars,
including engine control, transmission control, anti-lock brakes, and body
electronics.
• Industrial automation − The CAN protocol is used in industrial automation
systems to allow devices to communicate and coordinate their actions, such as
controlling motors, sensors, and other equipment.
• Medical equipment − The CAN protocol is used in medical equipment to
control various functions and to transmit data between devices. For example,
patient monitoring systems use the protocol to transmit patient vital signs data
between devices
• Avionics − The protocol is used in avionics to control and monitor various
systems such as engine, navigation, and flight control systems.
• Building automation − The protocol is used in building automation systems to
control and monitor various systems such as heating, ventilation, air
conditioning (HVAC), lighting, and security systems.
• Robotics − The protocol is used in Robotics to control and monitor various
systems such as motors, sensors, and other equipment, thus allowing the robots
to communicate and coordinate their actions.

CAN Framing

In the Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol, a message is transmitted using a

specific format called a frame. The frame consists of several fields that contain
information about the message, such as the source address, destination address, and
data payload.

The basic format of a CAN frame includes −

• Start of Frame (SOF) − Identifies the start of a frame.

• Identifier (ID) − A unique 11 or 29-bit number that identifies the message.
• Remote Transmission Request (RTR) − Indicates whether the frame is a data
frame (0) or a remote frame (1) requesting data.
 • Identifier Extension (IDE) − Indicates whether the ID field is 11-bit (0) or 29-
bit (1)
• Data Length Code (DLC) − Indicates the length of the data payload in bytes.
• Data − The payload of the message, which can be up to 8 bytes.
• Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) − A checksum used to detect errors in the
frame.
• Acknowledge Slot (ACK) − Acknowledge of the message transmission by the
receiver node.
• End of Frame (EOF) − Identifies the end of the frame.

A message is transmitted as a series of bits on the bus, with the most significant bit
(MSB) transmitted first. Once a message has been transmitted, all nodes on the
network will receive the message, but only the node with the matching identifier will
process it.

CAN Layered Architecture

The Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol has a layered architecture that is
designed to separate the different responsibilities of the protocol. The CAN protocol
is typically divided into five layers −

• Physical Layer − This layer is responsible for the physical transmission of bits
over the communication medium, such as a cable or wireless link. It defines the
electrical, mechanical, and operational specifications for the interface between
the nodes and the communication medium.
• Data Link Layer − This layer is responsible for providing reliable data transfer
between the nodes. It includes error detection and correction mechanisms, such
as bit stuffing and cyclic redundancy check (CRC). It also manages the
arbitration process to ensure that only one node can transmit at a time and
manages the Acknowledgement of the message.
• Network Layer − This layer is responsible for providing a common
communication format and addressing scheme for all nodes on the network. It
defines the format of the messages, including the identifier, data payload, and
priority.
• Transport Layer − This layer defines the rules for message transmission and
reception, such as message fragmentation and retransmission, flow control, and
error handling.
• Application Layer − This layer defines the services and interfaces that are
available to the application, such as sending and receiving messages, and
 monitoring the status of the network. It also provides an interface for the
Application layer.
• Each layer of the architecture is designed to be independent of the others, so that
changes or improvements can be made to one layer without affecting the others.
This design allows for flexibility and scalability of the protocol, which makes it
a well suited for various applications across different industries.

• Conclusion
• In conclusion, the Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol is a widely used
communication protocol that was originally developed for use in the automotive
industry. It is a serial communication protocol that uses a multi-master,
distributed control system, which allows any device on the network, called a
node, to initiate communication and all other nodes on the network to participate
in the communication. The protocol provides a way for devices to share
information and synchronize their actions without the need for a central
controller.
LIN (LOCAL INTERCONNECT NETWORK)
FLEX RAY PROTOCOL
MOST (MEDIA ORIENTED SYSTEMS PROTOCOL)