A Controller Area Network Gateway to ZigBee- A Proposition of an Architecture to Extend CAN

Controller Area Network is employed widely in modern automobiles, medical instrumentation, building automation, and manufacturing control systems. DeviceNet is one example of a commercial SCADA network that is based on the CAN specification. Commercially known as "ZigBee," the IEEE 802.15.4 wireless standard is designed to operate at low data rates with secure, low cost network configurations. Two key elements of the standard are low power operation and inherent security implementation. This work proposes an architecture to extend CAN to the wireless domain of IEEE 802.15.4, thereby providing a low cost, low power, efficient, and secure wireless network interface compatible with many existing SCADA infrastructure networks, in addition to the countless other installations incorporating a CAN backbone. An architectural model for such an extension mechanism is proposed which includes additions to the CAN protocol stack. New protocols are recommended for the tunneling of messages and for enhancing reliability. This work is directed towards developers of products involving CAN and 802.15.4, as well as researchers in the field of wireless personal area networks.