ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter we turned our attention to the Local Interconnect Network (LIN). As a brief refresher, LIN represents a low-cost serial communications system that enables a master node to control up to 16 slaves. In addition, it is common to interconnect two or more master LIN nodes to a Controller Area Network (CAN) to obtain the ability of data on one LIN bus to reach other areas in a vehicle not directly wired to a particular LIN. Thus, in this chapter we will move our intravehicle communications focus a bit higher, no pun intended, by turning our attention to the operation and utilization of the Controller Area Network. Commencing with an overview of CAN, we will probe deeper into the technology, examining its operations at layers 1 and 2 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model, to include the type and format of its frames and the manner by which errors are detected and corrected.
