CAN Info Mail

This monthly email is for all CAN fellows.
October 2021

A word from the CiA Managing Director

CAN networks are used mainly in embedded and deeply embedded control networks. They are for the users nearly invisible. The car drivers do not care, if the communication between ECUs (electronic control unit) is done by Classical CAN, CAN FD, or – in the future – CAN XL. The same is true for lift passengers, hospital patients, machine users, etc. CAN is not advertised. CAN networks are just there: embedded or even deeply embedded.

There will be far more than two billion CAN nodes installed this year, not just in passenger cars and other road vehicles. Nevertheless, it is a challenge to promote something, what is not visible. Implementors often hide CAN. They do not like to talk about their CAN solutions. Sometimes, it seems to be a big secret that CAN is used. In the CAN Newsletter magazine and the CAN Newsletter Online the editors try to report about CAN applications, especially on exotic ones. The editors would be happy to learn more about your application, the challenges you mastered, and the benefits you see in using CAN.

In the CiA office, we received this summer information requests on CAN in battery management applications. In order to avoid re-inventing the wheel, I think some standardization would be helpful. Interested parties should contact CiA office. Perhaps, we can initiate a CANopen profile or improve existing ones. The deeply embedded communication between battery cells is one topic, the embedded communication between battery and charger is another one. CiA could schedule a workshop on CAN networks in battery management, if there are enough interested parties. Please indicate your interest by email.

 

September issue of the CAN Newsletter magazine

The September issue provides several CANopen application reports, e.g. about rescue stairs, an autonomous transport shuttle, and pharmacy picking systems. Additionally, Part 2 of the comparative analysis of Classical CAN, CAN FD, and Ethernet for networked control systems is included. Part 2 provides related results and discussion.

The articles can be downloaded individually or you can download the entire magazine.

CiA at SPS 2021

SPS 2021 takes place as in-person exhibition from November 23 to 25, 2021 in Nuremberg, Germany. CiA has a booth in hall 5, stand 410. CiA staff is looking forward to assist you in case of any CAN-related technical, or marketing-oriented questions. Having the Covid-19 pandemic in mind, CiA tries to reduce the amount of people at the booth for the safety of all participants. Thus, please make an appointment in advance with CiA staff via email to headquarters(at)can-cia.org. CiA is looking forward to finally meet you in person again. As usual, CiA shows CANopen (FD) products on its stand.

Recommended CAN Newsletter Online articles in September

E-bike and e-scooter tracker: Analyzing battery status, mileage, service data, and more via CAN. Super Tracker developed an IoT (Internet of Things) GPS tracker and a Saas (software as a service) platform displayed through a native app solution. They combined performances of tracking and Saas solutions that are currently available on the market and then added features.

Online events in Russian language

CiA is committed to provide brief technical information in Russian language. This autumn there are two free-of-charge online events scheduled:

If you have Russian-speaking customers, colleagues, or business partners, please forward this information to them.

Discussing CAN (FD) and CANopen (FD)

In the last months of 2021, CAN in Automation (CiA) again offers a range of CAN and CANopen seminars. The CANopen seminar for newcomers is even planned as an on-site event while the rest of them take place online. Read more in this CAN Newsletter Online article.

CiA 604-1 released

The CAN FD Light specification has been released as CiA 604-1 Draft Specification Proposal (DSP). It specifies the implementation of CAN FD Light nodes, which only respond to CAN FD data frames. They do not initiate the transmission of frames by themselves. The CAN FD Light implementations do not send error frames. For more information read this CAN Newsletter Online article. The CiA 604-1 specification is currently only available for CiA members.

New videos on Youtube

Online seminars

On-site seminar

Webinars

1 in English language
2 in Russian language
3 in Chinese language
4 in German language

New CiA members since the last CiA Info Mail (CIM)

CiA has 719 members (September 30, 2021).

CiA Product Guides

Renewed entries

Follow us on social media

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