Texas Instruments claims to have launched the first commercially available controller area network (CAN) transceiver based on the next-generation "XL" iteration of the communication standard.

TI’s TCAN6062 offering is capable of supporting payloads up to 2,048 bytes per frame and data rates as high as 20 Mb/s. It’s designed to provide high enough throughput in a small form factor for use in both industrial and humanoid robots

“As industrial systems become more intelligent and interconnected, what we ask of our networks continues to evolve,” Dwight Byrd, TI’s GM for interface products, explained. “Engineers need more data, higher speeds, and greater flexibility, all without compromising performance or reliability."

CAN was originally developed by Bosch and converts outgoing digital bits from a microcontroller into differential voltage signals, translating incoming bus voltages back into standard logic levels to provide noise-resistant communication. Where standard CAN is suited for small real-time control messages, the XL iteration of the protocol is engineered for high-bandwidth, data-heavy networks. The next-gen version ensures extreme data integrity over large payloads and enables vastly higher bus speeds.

Where the original CAN found home in transceivers found in cars, TI’s XL line is directly touted for use in the emerging robotics space. The TCAN6062 product provides the high-speed bandwidth needed for data-heavy sensors to support real-time position commands for a robot’s limbs.

TI claims its CAN XL transceiver can reduce signal ringing – unwanted voltage oscillation caused by electrical signal reflections at points of mismatch – by as much as 80% in complex networks

“CAN XL opens the door to a new era of applications, enabling systems to deliver higher performance at a reasonable cost," Arthur Mutter, chair of the CAN XL Special Interest Group at CiA and a senior executive for networking technologies at Bosch, noted. "CAN XL is the better and cheaper CAN FD, but can also tunnel Ethernet.”

“CAN has been the backbone of industrial communications for decades. … Now with the introduction of the first commercially available CAN SIC XL transceiver, CAN XL is accessible to engineers worldwide, reflecting our shared commitment to solving the engineering challenges of today and tomorrow,” CiA Managing Director Holger Zeltwanger added.