Controller Area Network (CAN) Application Expansion at Supercon 2024: Embracing non-automobile Uses of CAN Technology

Controller Area Network (CAN) Application Expansion at Supercon 2024: Embracing non-automobile Uses of CAN Technology

The Wonders of the CAN Bus: Beyond Cars

Woah, buddy! You got a hankerin' for the CAN bus? That's cool beans! This bad boy has made waves in the automotive world and beyond, findin' its way into all sorts of rigs, planes, and boats from the '90s onwards. But that's just the tip of the iceberg—dude Randy Glenn says it's got legs way beyond vehicles! He spilled it all at the 2024 Supercon powered by our website!

Randy's game was called "Yes, You CAN: Use The Controller Area Network Outside Of Cars," so we reckon he was chuckling when he came up with the name. The CAN bus first came on the scene in 1983, cooked up by the folks at Bosch, and hit the scene officially in 1986 at that SAE conference. The real magic happened in 1991 when Mercedes-Benz took it for a spin in their production vehicles. It didn't take long voor it to catch on in the industry; it proved to be a reliable and robust way for all sorts of sensors and control units to exchange data in automobiles. It swept the automotive world like a wildfire when it was mandated as part of North America's OBD-II standard in 1996, practically gracing every car sold thereafter.

Since then, the CAN bus has been shooting for the stars, showin' up in airplanes and seafaring vessels. And guess what? It ain't just stuck in the transportation game. You'll find it in robots, pinball machines, even elevators! Wherever it's important to have robust, local communication between distributed embedded systems, CAN is the way to go.

Since it's everywhere you turn, you can bet your bottom dollar it's easy to find hardware and software that's CAN-ready. Nearly every microcontroller manufacturer can hook you up, from Espressif's ESP32 with its "Two Wire Automotive Interface" to Linux, which loves chatting CAN, and just about every programming language under the sun. Whether you're on Team Arduino, MicroPython, or CircuitPython, there's something for everyone! Even a Raspberry Pi can be CAN-tastic with the right SPI-ready CAN controllers from vendors like Microchip.

So why, pray tell, consider the CAN bus for your embedded communication needs? For starters, it uses a differential bus, making it a whole lot less susceptible to electrical noise. Error-checking and retransmission functionality are built-in, so you can stop sweatin' the small stuff. Plus, you'll never be short on CAN-compatible hardware, and it's often pretty cheap, given that manufacturers churn it out in droves.

Of course, there are limits to every meme. Traditionally, you're limicked to 32 devices on a bus, but there are workarounds at slower data rates. Peak data rates top out at 1 megabit per second for high-speed CAN, limiting your maximum cable length to 25 meters. But if you drop to 250 kbit/s, you can stretch it out to 250 meters! Packets are also capped at 8 bytes in size, but there are ways to dance around that.

Randy also fleshed out the nitty-gritty of CAN communication, from packet formats and addressing to special error and control frames. He even showed off a spooky Halloween build where a CAN bus was used to trigger crazy lightning and sound effects when folks rung the doorbell. Talk about levelin' up your prank game!

If you've been itchin' for a CAN primer, Randy's the dude to check out. This guy's got centuries of experience in the game, and he's eager to share his wisdom with fellow makers. Put the CAN bus in your toolbox, and you'll be ahead of the curve on next-level projects!

Beyond Cars: Expanding the CAN Bus Reach

The CAN bus ain't no one-trick pony; it's got some serious versatility in industries far and wide. Here's a quick rundown of what it's been up to beyond cars:

1. Industrial Automation:
2. The CAN bus helps keep things hummin' along smoothly in factories by coordinating operations between machines and robots.
3. Medical Equipment:
4. It plays a key role in making sure medical tech, like MRI machines, performs accurately and reliably.
5. It's also used in hospital settings to manage lighting, tables, and equipment in operating rooms.
6. Smart Homes and Buildings:
7. From lighting and heating to security and more, the CAN bus can help modernize your abode.
8. It's used in managing lifts and escalators by linking devices like panels, controllers, and light barriers.
9. Aerospace and Railways:
10. In aviation, CAN bus is a key player in flight-state sensors, navigation systems, and engine control systems.
11. It helps manage functions such as doors, lighting, and passenger information systems in railways.
12. Agriculture:
13. The CAN bus is right at home in modern farming equipment, where it helps coordinate various parts of tractors and harvesters.
14. Other Applications:
15. It's used in laboratory equipment, sports cameras, telescopes, and even coffee machines.
16. You can also find it in automatic doors and other non-industrial applications.

Sources:[1] "Controller Area Network" - © Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 2021.[2] "Controller Area Network Bus" - © The Performing Room, np. Building Services Technology[3] "Robot Controller and Motion" - © IntechOpen, Andrea Cesani.

1. With its versatile nature, the CAN bus has paved its way into the realm of industrial automation, playing a crucial role in seamlessly coordinating operations among machines and robots.
2. In the medical sector, the CAN bus ensures precision and reliability by managing data in medical equipment, including MRI machines, as well as hospital infrastructure like lighting and equipment in operating rooms.
3. The smart home and building industry have adopted the CAN bus to manage various aspects, such as lighting, heating, security, and the control of lifts and escalators through interconnected devices.
4. The CAN bus has also found a niche in the aerospace and railway industries, enhancing functions like flight-state sensors, navigation systems, engine control systems, doors, lighting, and passenger information systems.
5. Modern farming equipment greatly benefits from the CAN bus, with its ability to coordinate various components of tractors and harvesters.
6. The CAN bus has been implemented in a variety of other applications, such as laboratory equipment, sports cameras, telescopes, coffee machines, automatic doors, and other non-industrial devices.

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