FPGA-based Engineering of Bus Media Redundancy in CAN
José Luiz Rufino, Ricardo C. Pinto, Carlos Almeida · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · 2008
Distributed control systems are ubiquitous nowadays, with applications ranging from vehicle to shop-floor control. With the increased penetration of control systems in all application, the need for reliable communication among the members of the system is more crucial than ever. Standard CAN bus networks already have embedded a mechanism to guarantee the provision of service in face of a one-wire fault in a two-wire differential cabling infrastructure. However there is no mechanism to guarantee continuity of service in the event of a two-wire fault. To achieve this, one needs spatial redundancy for the cabling infrastructure. However, the design and implementation of such kind of solutions places problems with a non-trivial solution, despite the end result is quite simple. This paper addresses how a FPGA-based solution may be used to enhance CAN network availability through the management of the several physical media which support a single, logical medium.