Supercon 2024: Yes, You Can Use the Controller Area Network Outside of Cars
1 min read
Summary
The CAN (Controller Area Network) bus is a communications standard commonly used in the automotive industry, as well as in aircraft, ships, and agricultural machinery.
Randy Glenn, in his Supercon 2024 presentation “Yes, You CAN: Use The Controller Area Network Outside Of Cars,” encourages the use of CAN beyond traditional applications and explores its advantages and limitations.
CAN’s features include resistance to electrical noise, built-in addressing, error checking, and retransmission capabilities.
It can be easily integrated with various hardware and software, including microcontrollers and programming languages.
While traditionally limited to 32 devices per bus, it has a peak data rate of 1 Mbps and a standard packet size of 8 bytes.
Glenn provides examples of implementations and a basic explanation of the CAN frame format, addressing, and message types.
Beyond automotive applications, he showcases a Halloween-themed project using a CAN bus to trigger sound and lighting effects when a doorbell is pressed.
The presentation serves as a useful introduction to CAN and inspires creative uses beyond its initial domain.
