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 message objects, the CAN microcontroller including a processor core that runs CAN applications, a CAN/CAL module that processes incoming messages, and a plurality of message buffers associated with respective ones of the message objects, each message buffer having a size and a location that are programmable. The CAN microcontroller also includes a data memory space. Preferably, the plurality of message buffers are located in the data memory space, which may include both an on-chip portion and an off-chip portion. The plurality of individual message object registers associated with each of the message objects contain fields of command/control information that facilitate configuration and setup of that message object.