Identifying and configuring multiple smart devices on a can bus

Abstract

A system for communicating over a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus may include a central controller and a plurality of smart devices communicatively coupled with the central controller over the CAN bus and over an identification verification network separate from the CAN bus. Each smart device may be configured to at least one of measure various parameters and control a function based on a command received from the central controller, and then communicate one or more signals indicative of at least one of the measured parameters and the function over the CAN bus to the central controller. Each of the smart devices may include a physical input, a physical output, and at least two nonvolatile memory locations. A first of the at least two memory locations may be configured to store an identifier input signal received at the physical input from at least one of the central controller and an upstream smart device over the identification verification network, the identifier input signal being stored by the smart device as a function instance value for the smart device. The smart device may further include a source address determination module configured to determine a source address for the smart device based on the function instance value and a factory default base address for the smart device, and store the source address in a second of the at least two memory locations.