Application of Can and Canopen Data Transmission System in Elevator Industry

Nowadays, more and more modern elevator systems use data communication technologies to achieve the best performance and safety. Among these, the CAN (Controller Area Network) data communication system and the CANopen protocol have proven their flexibility and efficiency in optimizing elevator operation and maintenance.

Most recently, the workshop "Sustainable development trends of the future elevator industry" held within the framework of the Vietnam Elevator Expo 2023 International Exhibition , taking place on December 7, 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City , attracted the attention of many domestic and foreign enterprises. The presentation " From data transmission methods to elevator industry development solutions " by Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh raised an issue not only limited to the technical aspects being effectively applied in elevator production, but also an overview of the inevitable development trend of the elevator industry and the global industry.

The content of the paper is not only about approaching a specific technical problem, but also about the tendency to be "open" to the public and "closed" to specific niches. This demonstrates the innovation and flexibility of the elevator industry, focusing on creating solutions that are open to a wide public interaction, while also maintaining depth and specificity when facing specific industry requirements.

LEARN ABOUT CAN AND CANOPEN DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS IN THE ELEVATOR INDUSTRY

CAN data transmission system in elevator

CAN (Controller Area Network) is a serial communication protocol designed to support real-time control systems. It operates as a broadcast digital bus that can have multiple Masters. CAN networks are capable of connecting up to 2032 devices on a single network at high communication speeds of up to 1 Mbit/sec.

In the mid-1980s, electronic control units (ECUs) in the automotive industry were communicating via individual wires. The communication became more complex and expensive as the number of sensors and ECUs increased. To address this, the German company Robert Bosch GmbH began developing the CAN protocol in 1983 and first implemented it in the BMW 850 in 1986.

CAN not only offers cost savings and efficiency compared to previous communication links, but also represents a major step forward in the automotive industry. What sets CAN apart from previous protocols is its ability to allow ECUs to communicate serially with each other over just two wires. This has opened up the possibility of CAN being used in a wide range of applications, not only in the automotive industry but also in other areas, including elevators (lifts and elevators).

According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Hanh , the CAN data transmission method , initially used mainly in the automotive industry, has rapidly expanded its application to many other industries, including the elevator field. Based on the CAN data transmission method, many different communication protocol development trends have emerged, and among them, CANopen is a prominent open communication protocol.

CANopen data transmission system in elevators

The CANopen Association, founded in 1994 in Germany, plays an important role in connecting and gathering businesses that use CAN communication methods according to the CANopen standard.

CANopen is a communication protocol and device profile description used for embedded systems integrated in the automation field. In the OSI architecture, CANopen implements the top layers up to and including the network layer. The CANopen standard includes an addressing scheme, a series of small communication protocols and an application layer defined by the device profile. The communication protocols support network management, device tracking and communication between nodes, including a simple transport layer for message segmentation/de-segmentation. The low-level protocol typically implements the data link and physical layers, typically using a Controller Area Network (CAN) , however, devices can implement CANopen profiles with a variety of communication media such as Ethernet Powerlink, EtherCAT.

This has given rise to the application model of CAN data transmission system in many diverse fields such as medicine, aircraft control, ships, especially in the elevator industry,...

Simply, when the CAN data transmission method follows the CANopen Association standard, we call it CANopen.

When integrating CAN into their applications, businesses in the research and manufacturing sectors often face the challenge of developing their own language and rules systems, as well as limited test capabilities due to the lack of available test tools and limited compatibility with data from external sources, resulting in reduced device and component interchangeability.

Meanwhile, by following the CANopen standard, businesses can find a "family" of partners and suppliers, sharing a common "language", helping to reduce difficulties and optimize the integration process.

CANopen data transmission protocol is not only a standard that every business can use, but also an opportunity for companies to research and develop their own application technology. This opens up the potential for development, innovation of excellent and advanced products through research investment, new discoveries and progress." That is the view shared by Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh at the Workshop.

APPLICATION OF CAN AND CANOPEN DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEM IN ELEVATORS - DEVELOPMENT TREND OF ELEVATOR INDUSTRY

• CAN data transmission system is commonly used for elevators because of its advantages: Elevator data is a simple, short signal (contact, encoder, temperature....) so the transmission line occupancy time is fast.

• CANopen data transmission system has been applied in elevator industry since 2003, up to now many enterprises in different types of equipment have become members.

Expanding the dialogue from the CAN data transmission system method and the CANopen standard, Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh gave an overview of the inevitable development trend in the elevator industry: the synchronous development of two directions and sustainability.

This trend is described as "opening" to the general public and "closing" to specialized niches. According to Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh , for the large and potential global elevator market today, applying a common standard like CANopen brings many benefits to all subjects in the elevator market.

- For society: Reduce production costs, reduce total social waste.

- For consumers: Access to cheap products, easy and convenient shopping.

- For businesses: Create close links into a sustainable ecosystem.

However, along with the opportunities that this open trend brings, Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh also emphasized the challenges when all businesses follow a common standard without investing in new research and development.

Based on these in-depth analyses, Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh has summarized two simultaneous and sustainable development trends of the elevator industry as well as the global industry.

- “Open” trend: Popular technologies and applications will move towards common standards, to meet common social needs and benefit the majority. This is the right direction for mid-sized, small and medium-sized businesses, aiming to focus on diverse customers.

- “Closed” trend: Technologies with high requirements, superior applications such as elevators for super high-rise buildings, super-speed elevators, with special design and transmission technology. This is a guide for the leading group of enterprises, playing a pioneering role in the elevator industry, with the hope of introducing new inventions, promoting the comprehensive development of the industry.

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