AiVibeCANopen
CANopen is a higher-layer communication protocol and device profile family, maintained by CAN in Automation (CiA), that runs on the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus and is widely used in embedded machine control, motion and mobile machinery.
CANopen defines an object dictionary in every device, listing all parameters and data by index and subindex. Service data objects (SDOs) give confirmed access to entries for configuration, while process data objects (PDOs) transmit real-time data with little overhead, triggered by events, timers or synchronisation messages. Network management (NMT) controls device states, and heartbeat or node guarding confirms that devices are alive. Device capabilities are described in electronic data sheet files.
The underlying CAN bus, originally developed by Bosch for vehicles and standardised in ISO 11898, provides robust, prioritised messaging over twisted-pair cable. CANopen is used in servo drives, motion controllers, medical equipment, lifts, mobile and agricultural machinery, rail vehicles and battery systems. Device profiles such as CiA 402 for drives and motion control standardise behaviour across manufacturers, and EtherCAT reuses this profile through CANopen over EtherCAT.
Classic CAN carries at most eight data bytes per frame at bit rates up to 1 Mbit/s, and the permissible bus length decreases as the bit rate rises; CAN FD and CANopen FD allow larger payloads and faster data phases. Correct termination at both ends of the bus and careful configuration of node IDs and bit rates are essential.
Key points
- Higher-layer protocol on CAN, maintained by CAN in Automation (CiA)
- An object dictionary organises every parameter by index and subindex
- SDOs configure devices; PDOs carry real-time process data
- The CiA 402 profile standardises drives and motion control
- Classic CAN frames carry up to eight data bytes; CAN FD carries more
Where AiVibe comes in
AiVibe designs and manufactures the AiAmbA AI Factory, whose edge devices and AI agents let people talk to PLC, CNC and robot controllers in plain language. Agents only propose changes, a trained operator confirms each one, and the AI Factory never replaces a machine's control or safety systems.