Technical Paper
ESCAPE CAN Limitations
2007-04-16
2007-01-1487
The Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol is a de facto network standard for automotive applications. Since initial deployments in the late 1980s the simple low-cost bus topology and inherent flexibility of CAN have enabled it to capture the majority of low- to medium- speed networking traffic. Today most automotive engine control units (ECU) have some form of connection to a CAN network, and most automotive-centric semiconductors have at least one integrated CAN controller. However, as safety-related applications emerge, some of the advantageous attributes and features of the CAN protocol can lead to dependability vulnerabilities. This paper reviews the dependability of CAN and introduces a new enforcement and configuration strategy to augment CAN protocol dependability. The strategy enables standard COTS CAN node hardware to be used without modification.