Nuremberg, Germany, 2026-01-28. The nonprofit CiA (CAN in Automation) association has established the SIG (Special Interest Group) 48-V transceiver testing. The scope is the development of specifications related to CAN-based and LIN-based networks in 48-V supplied systems. This includes test plan specifications for 48-V physical media attachment (PMA) sublayer implementations.
The automotive industry is going to completely supply passenger cars with 48 V. The benefit: thinner power supply cables, reducing the wire harness weight. On the other hand, in-vehicle networks need to withstand higher voltage shorts. Loss of ground (GND) is also an issue. This means, PMA sublayer implementations such as PHYs, SBCs (system base chips), and stand-alone transceivers must not be destroyed by shorts.
The CiA specifications will extend the existing requirements given in ISO 11898-2 (CAN) and ISO 17987-4 (LIN). Additionally, CiA will specify related test cases for 48-V shorts and loss of GND. The SIG is chaired by Marko Moch, working with Cariad, a VW Group membe.
