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 microcontroller that supports a plurality of message objects, including a processor core that runs CAN applications, and a CAN/CAL module that processes incoming messages, and a data memory. The data memory includes a first memory segment that provides a plurality of message buffers associated with respective ones of the message objects, and a second memory segment that provides a plurality of memory-mapped registers for each of the message objects. The memory-mapped registers for each message object contain respective command/control fields for configuration and setup of that message object.

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 message objects, including a processor core that runs CAN applications, and a CAN/CAL module that processes incoming messages, and a data memory. The data memory includes a first memory segment that provides a plurality of message buffers associated with respective ones of the message objects, and a second memory segment that provides a plurality of memory-mapped registers for each of the message objects. The memory-mapped registers for each message object contain respective command/control fields for configuration and setup of that message object.

Abstract: A method for use in a CAN device (e.g., a CAN microcontroller) that includes a processor core, for automatically transmitting an acknowledge message. The method includes the steps of receiving a frame of a multi-frame fragmented message, and automatically transmitting an acknowledgment message without requiring any intervention of the processor core, in response to the receiving step. The automatically transmitting step is preferably performed by hardware external to the processor core, e.g., a CAN/CAL module of the CAN device.

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.

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: A CAN microcontroller that supports a plurality of message objects, and that includes a processor core that runs CAN applications, a plurality of message buffers associated with respective ones of the message objects, a CAN/CAL module that processes incoming messages that include a plurality of frames, each frame having a maximum number n of data bytes, and a plurality of message object registers associated with each of the message objects, including at least one buffer size register that contains a message buffer size value that specifies the size of the message buffer associated with that message object, and at least one buffer location register that contains an address pointer that points to an address of the storage location in the message buffer associated with that message object where the next data byte of the current incoming message is to be stored.

Abstract: A CAN microcontroller that supports a plurality of message objects, including a processor core that runs CAN applications, a CAN/CAL module that processes incoming messages, and a data memory space. The data memory space includes a plurality of message buffers associated with respective ones of the message objects, and a dedicated RAM memory space that contains a plurality of memory-mapped registers associated with each of the message objects. The plurality of memory-mapped registers associated with each message object correspond to respective command/control fields for facilitating configuration and setup of that message object. Each of the memory-mapped registers is mapped to a respective storage location within the dedicated RAM memory space. In one embodiment, the dedicated RAM memory space encompasses a plurality of separate RAM modules, each RAM module being dedicated to a respective one of the command/control fields.

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.