If you are a chipmaker, chances are you have already implemented Controller Area Networks (CAN) into your silicon.

CAN is a serial bus system used in many industries that is made up of the nonprofit users and manufacturers' group, with 570 member companies, serves the CAN community with marketing and standardization activities. CiA (CAN in Automation) members have created the CANopen application layer and profiles used in many embedded networks such as machine control, medical devices, commercial vehicles and lift control systems.

Last month, CiA celecrated its 20th anniversary at the 13th international CAN Conference (iCC) in Hambach Castle, Germany. In recognition of the anniversary, the CAN-FD (flexible data-rate) protocol was introduced at the conference, which according to CAN is a backward compatible protocol that breaks the 1-Mbit/s data-rate and allows longer payloads in a single frame.

Many vendors also launched their CAN transcievers at the conference, which enables partial networking. This reduces energy consumption by allowing the user to switch single devices on and off.

If interested in training courses, in-house seminars or other publications by CiA, visit them online at www.can-cia.org for more information.