CAN FD technology is one of the most advanced network communication technologies in the automotive and industrial fields and is an extension of the Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol. Compared to CAN, CAN FD interface technology offers significant performance improvements in two key aspects:

1. Increased transmission rates: CAN's maximum transmission rate is 1 Mbps, whereas CAN FD can achieve up to 12 Mbps.
2. Enhanced transmission payload capacity: CAN transfers 8 bytes per frame, while CAN FD can transmit 64 bytes per frame.

Additionally, CAN FD includes hardware protocol enhancements and optimizations compatible with CAN interfaces, which are not detailed here. Due to its superior performance, the demand for CAN FD applications is increasing, replacing CAN as a product trend.

Leading the technological trend, Nuvoton introduces a new series of MCU/MPU products equipped with CAN FD interfaces, supporting up to 4 channels:

There is a growing need for products with additional CAN FD interfaces to facilitate data communication in industrial applications, such as in DC charging stations and industrial interface converters. Below are several successful user cases integrating CAN FD:

Case Study 1:

The M467 MCU utilizes CAN FD interfaces to communicate with multiple battery packs, enabling data acquisition. This application employs 4 CAN FD interfaces, requiring a stable throughput of over 5 Mbps. Temporary data is stored using Nuvoton’s proprietary HyperBus with HyperRam (offering lower power consumption and cost than SRAM), and data is subsequently transmitted to a monitoring terminal via Ethernet ports for further processing.

Case Study 2:

Industrial CAN Interface Converter: The M463 series MCU is utilized to convert CAN and UART protocol data, facilitating fast data transmission and reception with 2 CAN FD interfaces. The system ensures real-time and stable data transfer through the UART's RX/TX 16 Bytes FIFO. Additionally, the M463 features an HS USB2.0 interface, eliminating the need for an external high-speed USB PHY and reducing customer BOM costs.

Case Study 3:

Nuvoton M467/MA35D1 series chips exhibit exceptional performance in DC charging station applications. The M467 series MCU boasts 4 CAN FD interfaces along with 1024 Kbytes of Zero-Wait eFlash, 512 Kbytes of RAM, up to 3 ADC hardware with 28 channels, Gigabit Ethernet, and HS USB OTG. It also includes an independent KeyStore security hardware IP with dedicated OTP, Flash, and RAM areas for managing keys at different security levels. The chip offers a variety of interfaces and is available in packages ranging from LQFP64 to LQFP176, catering to diverse application requirements.

In the DC charging station application illustrated below, the M467 series MCU communicates with the screen via UART for display and control purposes. Functions such as billing, communication, protection, and automotive CAN FD communication are efficiently handled by the M467 single-chip solution.

Nuvoton also offers the MA35D1 series MPU as a single-chip solution for DC charging stations. The MA35D1 series features a 64-bit dual-core A35 processor capable of running up to 800 MHz and a dedicated 180 MHz M4 MCU for real-time tasks. It includes up to 512 Mbytes of DDR3 memory and integrates Nuvoton's Trusted Secure Island (TSI) hardware for secure encryption and key management. The chip supports RGB output with a maximum resolution 1920x1080 and offers graphics and image decoding acceleration. It has dual GigaEthernet interfaces and is available in three package options: LQFP216, BGA312, and BGA364.

As illustrated below, this solution leverages the MA35D1's internal M4 MCU to execute high real-time tasks such as monitoring and protection of voltage, current, and temperature, as well as communication with automotive and DC power module CAN FD systems. Additionally, the dual-core A35 processors within the MA35D1 enable high-performance tasks, including Linux OS operation, large screen displays, network communication, billing, and data encryption functionalities.

Based on the successful cases mentioned above, the Nuvoton series of CAN FD chips have gained widespread recognition among industrial manufacturers due to their high integration and stability. Users can visit the Nuvoton website at www.nuvoton.com to access relevant documents and purchase corresponding development boards for testing purposes.

In conclusion, we summarize the key features of Nuvoton's CAN/CAN FD series chips and invite you to choose the appropriate model for your needs.

MCU Series Products：

MPU Series Products：