A low-power, radiation-hardened, CAN-interface for system-on-chip space applications

The CAN bus standard is widely used in the space industry to interconnect subsystems. Its main advantage is the performance in terms of reliability, due to its sophisticated error handling mechanisms and electrical noise robustness. This paper presents a novel approach to the design of a CAN interface (including the CAN Controller—data link layer—and the CANopen—application layer) optimized for radiation-hardness, power consumption and other qualities desired for space systems electronics. The CAN interface was fabricated on a commercial 0.25 μm technology, integrated in a SoC with analog and digital subsystems. Tests have shown radiation hardness above 1 Mrad and no SEEs up to 57 MeV, with 3 mW power consumption, and a −55 to +125 °C operating temperature range, features greatly optimized in comparison to current implementations in the space industry.