Abstract: A device that supports a plurality n of message objects, including a plurality of registers associated with each message object, including at least one object match ID register that contains a multi-bit object match ID field, and at least one object mask register that contains a multi-bit object mask field; and, a CAN/CAL module that processes incoming messages. The CAN/CAL module assembles a multi-bit screener ID from selected bits of each incoming message to be acceptance filtered, compares the bits comprising the screener ID with corresponding bits of the object match ID field associated with each of at least designated ones of the message objects, disregarding any bits of each object match ID field that are masked by corresponding bits of the associated object mask field, and then determines whether any of the comparisons results in a match.

Abstract: A CAN device that supports a plurality n (where n≧3) of message objects, including a plurality of registers associated with each message object, including at least one object match ID register that contains a multi-bit object match ID field, and at least one object mask register that contains a multi-bit object mask field; and, a CAN/CAL module that processes incoming messages. The CAN/CAL module assembles a multi-bit screener ID from selected bits of each incoming message to be acceptance filtered, compares the bits comprising the screener ID with corresponding bits of the object match ID field associated with each of at least designated ones of the plurality n of message objects, disregarding any bits of each object match ID field that are masked by corresponding bits of the associated object mask field, and then determines whether any of the comparisons results in a match.

Abstract: A CAN device that supports a plurality n (where n≧3) of message objects, including a plurality of registers associated with each message object, including at least one object match ID register that contains a multi-bit object match ID field, and at least one object mask register that contains a multi-bit object mask field; and, a CAN/CAL module that processes incoming messages. The CAN/CAL module assembles a multi-bit screener ID from selected bits of each incoming message to be acceptance filtered, compares the bits comprising the screener ID with corresponding bits of the object match ID field associated with each of at least designated ones of the plurality n of message objects, disregarding any bits of each object match ID field that are masked by corresponding bits of the associated object mask field, and then determines whether any of the comparisons results in a match.

Abstract: A CAN microcontroller that supports a plurality of uniquely-numbered message objects, that includes a processor core that runs CAN applications, a plurality of message buffers associated with respective ones of the message objects, and a CAN/CAL module. The CAN microcontroller further includes a plurality of individual message object registers associated with each message object, including at least one control register that contains an interrupt-enable control bit, a receive enable bit, and a transmit enable bit. The CAN microcontroller also includes a plurality of global message object control registers, including at least one message complete status register that contains a plurality of status flag bits for respective ones of the message objects, at least one interrupt flag register that contains a receive complete interrupt flag bit and a transmit complete interrupt flag bit, and a message complete info register that contains a plurality of message object identification bits and a status bit.

Abstract: In a CAN device, e.g., a CAN microcontroller, that supports a plurality of message objects, a method that includes concurrently staging two or more transmit messages associated with respective ones of two or more enabled transmit message objects for attempted transmission over a CAN bus coupled to the CAN device, and performing a pre-arbitration process to determine which of the two or more concurrently staged transmit messages has priority. The message determined to have priority is deemed a winning message and the message object associated with the winning message is deemed a winning message object.

Abstract: A method for acceptance filtering incoming CAN frames, in a CAN device that provides a plurality of message objects each of which has an associated message buffer, at least one associated match ID register, and at least one associated mask register. The method includes the steps of extracting a multi-bit screener ID field from a received CAN frame, and then comparing the extracted screener ID field to a respective, user-specified multi-bit match ID field stored in the at least one match ID register associated with each enabled one of the message objects designated to be a receive message object, wherein the at least one mask register associated with each enabled message object designated to be a receive message object stores a user-specified, multi-bit mask field that masks selected bits of the corresponding match ID field, the masked bits being excluded from the comparisons.