Glossary · Vehicle Networks
Also known as: Controller Area Network
CAN: Controller Area Network — the dominant low-bandwidth automotive bus. CAN (ISO 11898) is the broadcast multi-master bus used for body, chassis, and powertrain control communication.
Where this matters: Embedded Software Engineering
It is fault-tolerant, cheap, and well-understood, but inherently lacks authenticity — which is why higher-layer mechanisms such as SecOC are deployed on safety-relevant CAN frames.
Related terms
CAN with Flexible Data-rate — extended payload (up to 64 bytes) and higher bit rate.
Secure Onboard Communication (SecOC) is the AUTOSAR mechanism that adds message authentication and freshness protection to in-vehicle network traffic.
Unified Diagnostic Services (ISO 14229) — standard ECU diagnostic and reprogramming protocol.
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