Special interest group for internet protocol launched

CAN in Automation's (CiA) international users’ and manufacturers’ group has established the CAN XL Special Interest Group (SIG) for their next-generation protocol, which is designed for TCP/IP communication and radar sensors.

By CAN in Automation January 8, 2019

CAN in Automation’s (CiA) international users’ and manufacturers’ group has established the CAN XL Special Interest Group (SIG). Several original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Tier 1’s, chipmakers, and other interested parties including tool suppliers discussed desired features for the CAN XL data link layer. The participants also elected Dr. Arthur Mutter (Bosch) as chairman; Reiner Zitzmann, the CEO of CiA, is the SIG secretary.

The SIG experts requested backwards compatibility with CAN FD for the CAN XL protocol. The CAN XL data link layer is intended for TCP/IP communication, simple radar sensors, and eCall devices.

“In this two-day inaugural meeting, the experts evaluated already very detailed protocol features,” said Holger Zeltwanger, CiA managing director.

Additionally, the participants discussed the requirements for the physical media attachment (PMA) sub-layer, which is normally implemented in a transceiver chip. The desired speed is in minimum 10 Mbit/s. The signal improvement circuitry (SIC) transceivers specified in CiA 601-4 already achieve 8 Mbit/s. The edge symmetry and the voltage amplitude also need to be improved.

The SIG will organize plug fests to prove prototype implementations. The CAN XL protocol could be used for interoperability tests. “If we are fast, we can schedule a first plug fest beginning of 2020,” Zeltwanger said.

– Edited from a CAN in Automation (CiA) press release by CFE Media. CAN in Automation is a CFE Media content partner. See more Control Engineering industrial networking stories.