CAN Education Resources
On Site CAN Training
For on-site training in CAN and CAN protocol basics, we invite you to contact one of our Technical Associates listed below. These Kvaser Technical Associates provide a variety of classes and training sessions.
- Embedded Systems Academy: Classes in CAN, CANopen, Embedded Networking. Visit Site
- Warwick Control Technologies: Classes in CAN, In-Vehicle Networking, LIN, FLEXRAY, CANopen. Visit Site
- Gannet Engineering: Classes in CAN, EV, HEV, Control systems, Powertrain, and more. Visit Site
CAN Dictionary
Master the terminology unique to Controller Area Networks. Learn the terms for CAN protocol basics, hardware, message types, higher layer protocols, error states, and more.
CAN Kingdom
CanKingdom is usually mentioned as a CAN (Controller Area Network) higher layer protocol. The CanKingdom concept include more than that. To learn more, download the white paper below:
Bosch CAN Specification
This Bosch CAN Specification (Version 2) PDF is the authoritative documentation of how the controller area network system is defined:
CAN Standards
When people talk about “CAN” without further detailing what standards they are talking about, they usually mean the data link layer protocol defined by ISO 11898-1 and the physical layer defined by ISO 11898-2. In reality, there are many standards to choose from.
Learn about CAN protocol basics and Specific CAN Standards >>
CAN EF – A stepping stone to CAN FD
CAN FD is a modification of the existing CAN Standard which will allow for larger bandwidth. The essential changes involve alternating the bitrate to allow more data bits to be squeezed into the normal data section of the CAN frame.
Kent Lennartson, Kvaser’s hardware manager, has explored an intermediate step towards CAN FD, called CAN EF.
Read about CAN EF – How to use high bitrates in a CAN-system>>
See the presentation – ICC Presentation 2013>>
Read our on-line overview of CAN FD >>
Higher Layer Protocols
The CAN protocol itself just specifies how small packets of data safely may be transported from point A to point B using a shared communications medium. It (quite naturally) contains nothing on topics such as flow control, transportation of data larger than can fit in a 8-byte message, node addresses, establishment of communication, etc. These topics are covered by a Higher Layer Protocol, HLP . The term HLP is derived from the OSI model and its seven layers.
Higher layer protocols are used in order to
- standardize startup procedures including bit rate setting
- distribute addresses among participating nodes or kinds of messages
- determine the layout of the messages
- provide routines for error handling on system level
For further information, view our on-line overview of CAN Higher Layer Protocols >>
CAN Controllers and Transceivers
At the low level there are, in principle, two kinds of CAN products available on the open market, CAN chips and CAN development tools. At a higher layer another two kinds of products are relevant, CAN modules and CAN design tools. A wide variety of these are now available on the open market.
Have a look at our list of CAN chips, etc >>
CAN Patents
Check out a list of CAN patents >>
CAN White Papers and Slide Shows
White papers and slide shows on the design, analysis, and implementation of controller area networks. List of CAN white papers >>
Magisync
Time synchronization is needed to achieve accurate and precise time stamping between several PC-to-bus interfaces connected to one PC. Since each PC-to-bus interface uses its on-board clock to set the time stamps.
Learn more about one of Kvaser’s patented technologies to synchronize timestamps across USB devices:
