RECONFIGURABLE COMPUTING: NETWORK INTERFACE CONTROLLER AREA NETWORK (CAN)

In current embedded computer system development, the methodologies have experienced significant changes due to the advancement in reconfigurable computing technologies. The availability of large capacity programmable logic devices such as field programmable grid arrays (FPGA) and high-level hardware synthesis tools allows embedded system designers to explore various hardware/software partitioning options in order to obtain the most optimum solution. A type of hardware synthesis tool that is gaining significant footing in the industry is Handel-C. a programming language based on the syntax of C but able to produce gate-level information that can be placed and routed on to an FPGA. Controller Area Network (CAN) is an example of embedded system application widely used in modem automobiles and gaining popularity in manufacturing environments where high-speed and robust networking is needed. CAN was designed on a very simple yet effective protocol where messages are identified by their own unique identifiers. Message collisions are handled through a non-destructive arbitration process, eliminating message re-transmission and unnecessary network overloading. A project to design and implement of a version of CAN is presented in this dissertation. The project was performed based on hardware/software co-design methodology with the utilisation of the above-mentioned reconfigurable computing technologies: FPGA and Handel-C. This disse11ation describes the concepts of hardware/software co-design and rcconfigurable computing: the details of CAN protocol, the fundamentals of Handel-C. design ideas considered and the actual implementation of the system