Texas Instruments Corporation

Scott Allen Monroe

David Wayne Stout

John P Griffith

A method, system, and apparatus for fault detection in a microprocessor-based system uses a serial data communication protocol for communications between a peripheral device and a controller. Peripheral device interface circuitry is adapted to intermittently receive input serial data frames from the controller using the serial communication protocol and to intermittently send output serial data frames to the controller using the serial communication protocol. Each output serial data frame includes one or more status bits representing communication status data and one or more data bits representing peripheral device data. The status bits and the data bits are serially followed by at least one fault bit that indicates whether a fault is detected during sending of the output serial data frame.

Low latency fault and status indicator in serial communication

A controller area network (CAN) node comprises an internal high differential bus line (CANH) and an internal low differential bus line (CANL). The CAN node further comprises a receiver (RXD) comparator coupled to both the internal CANH and the internal CANL that outputs an internal RXD signal. The CAN node further comprises an RXD dominant time out (DTO) circuit. The RXD DTO circuit includes: a) an RXD dominant transition detector coupled to an output of the RXD comparator; b) a timer triggered by the RXD dominant transition detector detecting a dominant RXD transition; c) an RXD dominant timer comparator that is coupled to an output of the timer which compares an output of the timer to a selected value; d) an internal RXD dominant signal is changed to an RXD DTO recessive signal after a selected time interval has lapsed and can include a fault output to signal this fault condition.

Apparatus and system for an active star/stub/ring controller area network physical layer transceiver

Controller area network (CAN) communications apparatus and methods are presented for CAN flexible data rate (CAN FD) communications in a mixed CAN network with CAN FD nodes and one or more non-FD CAN nodes in which a CAN FD node wishing to transmit CAN FD frames sends a first predefined message requesting the non-FD CAN nodes to disable their transmitters before transmitting the CAN FD frames, and thereafter sends a second predefined message or a predefined signal to return the non-FD CAN nodes to normal operation.

CAN and flexible data rate CAN node apparatus and methods for mixed bus CAN FD communications

Structures and methods herein insert one or more parallel 'recessive nulling' driver impedances across a controller area network (CAN) bus starting at the time of a dominant-to-recessive data bit transition and extending for a selected recessive nulling time period. Doing so increases a rate of decay of a CAN bus dominant-to-recessive differential signal waveform, permits a shortened recessive bit time period, and allows for increased CAN bus bandwidth. Various modes of operation are applicable to various CAN bus node topologies. Recessive nulling may be applied to only the beginning portion of a recessive bit following a dominant bit ('LRN mode') or to the entire recessive bit time (&#x201c;HRN mode&#x201d;). And, some embodiments may apply LRN operations to some recessive CAN frame bits and HRN operations to others.

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Frisco, TX, United States of America

Scott Allen Monroe