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Understanding CAN Bus Physical Layer

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26 views5 pages

Understanding CAN Bus Physical Layer

Uploaded by

Chris Black
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Introduction to the Controller Area Network Physical Layer DITEX

CONTROLLER AREA NETWORK (CAN) PHYSICAL LAYER


Author: Frank Wisner

General description - CAN-BUS Physical layer

In the Open Systems Interconnection Model (OSI) model of computer networking, there are 7 layers
in total. The physical layer (layer 1) is the first and lowest layer.

CAN bus uses this physical layer to transfer the raw data across the network of Electronic control units
(ECUs).

But why is CAN protocol so commonly used in the automotive industry? Let’s find out.

What does differential signal mean?


The CAN protocol uses differential signalling - a two-wire (twisted-pair) communication line, which
includes:
● CAN high (CAN_H)
● CAN low (CAN_L)

These 2 wires are in charge of transferring all data among the ECUs network by connecting all of them
only using 1 pair of wires. That was, at least, the general idea when the CAN bus system was first
applied in the automotive industry. However, as cars keep evolving, more ECUs are added to the
system. Eventually, engineers had to split them into different CAN bus “branches.” These “branches”
will communicate with each other via the “Gateway”. Besides, there are also direct communication
lines among them. But we’ll get to that later.

Despite being split, each CAN bus branch still follow the general idea – all ECUs in their own system are
connected using only 1 pair of wires.

Modern cars nowadays can have up to 80 ECUs, just imagine how messy and costly it is to connect
these modules to each other using analog signal lines.

In theory, the CAN bus will make the wiring less complex and reduce the error. However, a
malfunctioned ECU may create enough electrical noise to negatively affect the whole system.

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Since 2008, all vehicles sold in the US must use CAN bus as one of their signal protocols. And in those
vehicles’ OBD2 ports, the CAN_H is on pin 6, and the CAN_L is on pin 14

What are the speeds of the bus?


Modern cars nowadays have more than one CAN bus system, which have different speeds. This allows
time-sensitive data to have their own “channel” and the others with lower priority go in lower speed
systems.
High-speed CAN bus (ISO 11898-2) can go up to 1Mbit/s. The maximum cable length of this CAN is 40
meters.
The high-speed CAN system is used in your vehicles as there are many time-sensitive data that need
minimum reaction time, such as:
• Airbag (SRS)
• Anti-lock brake (ABS)
• Powertrain control (PCM)
• Stability control (ESC)
Low-speed or fault-tolerant CAN bus (ISO 11898-3) can speed up to 125 kbit/s. This CAN bus has a
much longer maximum cable length than the high-speed one. Car engineers use this for modules that
do not require low latency signals, such as:
• Radio
• GPS
• Door control
• Light control

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In your vehicle, these two CAN bus systems are connected to each other by a “Gateway”. This will allow
ECUs in each system to send, receive data back and forth.
For example, when you accelerate your car (engine speed data from engine control module, which is
in the high-speed CAN bus), the radio volume (connected to low-speed CAN bus) will automatically
turn up.
However, there is also a direct connection between those channels without using a Gateway. In this
way, data can be transmitted with the lowest latency.
To give an example, electronic stability control (ESC) is an extra safety feature in your car. This module
requires low latency signals from the steering signal sensor and level sensor. The former sensor is in
the Top column module, and the latter is in the rear power module. These two modules are not on the
same channel with ESC, but they are directly connected to minimize the latency.
So, when you turn your steering wheel but the car doesn’t go the way you want, the ESC will apply
brake to the wheels instantly to keep you safe.

What does bus termination mean and what is it for?


Because CAN bus communicates by using signals of 2 wires, one’s signal may “bounce” back to
another’s, causing the data to be damaged. You might experience this phenomenon in your old analog
TV when you got ghosted images.

The longer the cable, the more significant the “bouncing” will be. CAN bus speed is also the main factor
for this effect.

To avoid this situation, the signal must go somewhere else and never go back. And “somewhere” in
this case means termination resistors.

Because CAN bus data travel in both directions, you need to terminate the signal at the end of CAN_H
and CAN_L lines (for high-speed CAN) or at each module (for Low-speed CAN).

The termination resistors should match the impedance of the cables, which is 120 Ohm for high-speed
CAN (used in most vehicles).

So, when you measure the resistance between CAN_H and CAN_L, the value should be 60 Ohm, that’s
two 120 Ohm resistors connected in parallel. If you read 120 Ohm, one of the resistors is blown.

For low-speed CAN, the impedance is close to 100 Ohm but not less than that.

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How do CAN_H and CAN_L send signals across the system?


These 2 lines create 2 different states depending on the voltage difference between 2 CAN_H and
CAN_L.

VDiff = VCANH - VCANL


● 2.0V < VDiff > 0.9V - Dominant state, coded as “0”
● -1.0V < VDiff < 0.5V - Recessive state, coded as “1”

During the dominant state, the CAN_H voltage is usually 3.75V and the CAN_L voltage is 1.25V. Of
course, the numbers can be a bit higher or lower.

Specifically, the CAN_H dominant output voltage ranges between 2.75V and 4.50V. And the CAN_L
dominant output voltage ranges between 0.50V and 2.25V.

Each ECU is able to send and receive series of those “0” and “1”. These series are called “frame”.

A frame consists of different fields and each field is in charge of different functions. We will dig deeper
in the below part.

CAN bus is a bidirectional serial communication bus


What does bidirectional serial bus mean?

In the CAN bus physical layer, “bidirectional” can be understood in 2 different levels:
● “Bidirectional” on frames
● “Bidirectional” within frames

First, let’s talk about the on-frame level. As mentioned above, each ECU in the system is able to send
and receive data frames) to/from other ECUs without any intervention of a third party, and this system
is called peer-to-peer.

When an ECU wants to send data, it will check if the whole system is busy or not and then send a frame
to the system.

But how can this data come to the right place?

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When a frame is sent, all ECUs will take a look at that and decide whether they should ignore or receive
the signal. This is possible because each ECU has its unique “address”. And inside a specific frame,
there is a code indicating which address the data should go to, called "arbitration ID".

Arbitration ID is also in charge of indicating the priority of the frame. The highest priority message get
to go first, and the lower priority ones will be delivered again when the traffic eases off.

The question is that how the transmitting ECU knows that its frame is not sent yet?

That leads us to a smaller level of “Bidirectional”, which is a single bit inside frames - the acknowledge
(ACK) slot.

When an ECU sends out a frame, the ACK slot is always at the recessive state (1). When another ECU
takes that message, it will change the ACK slot to the dominant state (0).

So, a zero means the message was received. On the other hand, if the transmitting ECU reads a one
on the ACK slot, it means that the frame needs to be sent again.

Conclusion
In a nutshell, CAN bus physical layer is about how data can be transfer from the ECU A to the ECU B
within one single system.

Using 2 simple, raw physical value – CAN_L and CAN_H voltages, CAN protocol is able to generate
different series of “0” and “1”, creating a language so that cars’ modules can talk to each other.

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Common questions

Powered by AI

Bidirectional communication in a CAN bus system occurs at both the on-frame and within-frame levels. On the on-frame level, each ECU can both send and receive entire frames from other ECUs without needing a central controller, forming a peer-to-peer network. During the within-frame level, bidirectional communication involves an acknowledgment (ACK) slot. When an ECU transmits a frame, the ACK slot initially remains at a recessive state (1). Upon receipt of the frame by any other ECU, the slot is driven to a dominant state (0) to signal successful reception. If the transmitting ECU reads a recessive ACK, it retransmits the frame knowing the message wasn't received .

Differential signaling in the CAN bus involves two wires, CAN_H and CAN_L, which help transfer data by creating a voltage difference (VDiff) between them. This approach minimizes the impact of external electrical noise and allows the bus to maintain the integrity of the signals over a single pair of wires. Differential signaling enables the CAN protocol to send data more reliably and efficiently across electronic control units (ECUs), which is crucial in automotive environments where multiple ECUs are interconnected .

High-speed CAN bus systems can operate at speeds up to 1 Mbit/s and are used for time-sensitive data, such as airbag, anti-lock brakes, and powertrain controls, where minimum reaction time is critical. The maximum cable length for high-speed CAN is limited to 40 meters to maintain data integrity. In contrast, low-speed or fault-tolerant CAN bus systems have speeds up to 125 kbit/s and are used for non-urgent modules like radio, GPS, and light control. They provide greater cable length flexibility, which is beneficial for less demanding applications. The differentiation allows time-sensitive data to have their own channel while less critical data can utilize lower speed systems to ensure overall efficiency .

The CAN protocol is used to transfer raw data across a network of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) using a two-wire, twisted-pair communication line, known as CAN high (CAN_H) and CAN low (CAN_L). It is favored in automotive networks because it simplifies the wiring needed among the modules, reducing complexity and errors that are prevalent with analog signal lines. Furthermore, it allows for efficient data transfer among up to 80 ECUs found in modern cars without the messiness and cost associated with analog signal lines .

The 'dominant' state in CAN signal transmission is characterized by a voltage difference (VDiff) between 0.9V and 2.0V, indicating a logical '0'. Typically, in this state, the CAN High (CAN_H) voltage ranges from 2.75V to 4.50V, and the CAN Low (CAN_L) voltage ranges from 0.50V to 2.25V, with standard values of 3.75V for CAN_H and 1.25V for CAN_L. The 'recessive' state indicates a logical '1' and occurs when the VDiff is less than 0.5V or between -1.0V and 0.5V. The state of the system switches according to the transmitted data frames for communication .

The 'Gateway' in vehicle CAN bus systems facilitates communication between modules on different bus systems. It connects high-speed and low-speed CAN bus systems to allow data exchange. For instance, when engine speed data from a high-speed CAN bus (such as the engine control module) needs to adjust the radio volume on a low-speed CAN bus, the Gateway allows this cross-communication. This setup supports functional integration and ensures seamless operation and user interaction regardless of the bus speed differences .

A malfunctioning ECU in a CAN network can generate excessive electrical noise, leading to signal interference or incorrect data transmission across the network. Since all ECUs communicate over the same bus lines, such disruptions can propagate through the system, potentially causing widespread malfunction or miscommunication between other ECUs. This can result in the loss of crucial functions like braking, stability control, or engine management, posing a significant risk to vehicle safety. Therefore, fault identification and isolation mechanisms are critical to maintaining overall system reliability and safety in automotive CAN networks .

CAN_H and CAN_L create a communication framework by generating voltage differences to represent binary states (0s and 1s) across ECUs, thereby forming a language or protocol for module interaction. The states translate into frames containing series of bits, which are further divided into fields with specific functions like start of frame, arbitration ID, control, data, CRC, acknowledgment, and end of frame. These fields carry not only data but also critical control information, facilitating synchronized communication among various modules in the vehicle, regardless of the distinct electronic systems they belong to .

If termination resistors are not correctly implemented in a CAN bus system, signals may 'bounce' back, causing data reflections that corrupt communication much like ghost images in an old analog TV. Such signal reflections can lead to erroneous data transmission and overall system instability, particularly in high-speed CAN systems. To resolve this, termination resistors are employed at the end of CAN_H and CAN_L lines, matching the cable impedance to 120 Ohms in high-speed CAN. This prevents signal reflections by absorbing the signals and thus stabilizing the communication across the network .

The arbitration ID in a CAN bus network is a part of the data frame that identifies the priority of the message. During data transmission, when multiple ECUs want to send messages simultaneously, the arbitration ID determines the order based on priority. The highest priority message wins arbitration and is sent first, while lower priority messages wait until the bus is free. This system ensures that critical messages are delivered promptly. Additionally, the arbitration ID indicates the address of the ECU intended to receive the message, enabling accurate and efficient data routing within the network .

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