More Payload, Higher Bit Rates, and Improved Signal Integrity CAN XL: From the classic CAN bus to high-speed communication

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Up to 2,048 bytes of payload and 20 Mbit/s: With the TCAN6062, Texas Instruments is launching the first commercially available CAN XL transceiver. This makes the now standardized successor to CAN FD a directly usable hardware platform for the first time.

Humanoid robots are evolving from mechanically complex machines to connected cyber-physical systems. With every additional sensor, joint, and integrated computing and AI function, the demands on their communication network also increase.

Processors, sensors, and actuators must exchange ever-larger amounts of data with minimal latency and deterministic behavior. When a robot needs to correct its balance or adjust a movement in a fraction of a second, fast and reliably transmitted control and safety data are crucial.

This is precisely where Texas Instruments comes in with the TCAN6062, which it claims to be the first commercially available CAN-XL transceiver. The component is designed to provide developers of humanoid and industrial robots with a communication network offering significantly higher bandwidth while maintaining the proven features of CAN-based architectures. CAN XL extends the payload to up to 2,048 bytes per frame and achieves data rates of up to 20 Mbit/s.

CAN XL responds to a development that goes beyond robotics: industrial systems are generating more and more data, while deterministic communication for motion control, sensor feedback, and safety-critical functions remains necessary. Where CAN FD, with a maximum of 64 bytes of payload, is increasingly reaching its limits, CAN XL aims to bridge the gap between traditional CAN and more powerful Ethernet networks.

The key technical factor is not just the higher bit rate. With 2,048 bytes of payload per frame, CAN XL significantly reduces protocol overhead, especially for larger data blocks. At the same time, the CAN-typical prioritization is preserved: critical messages can prevail over less time-critical data during arbitration. This makes CAN XL particularly interesting for applications where large amounts of data and deterministic behavior coincide, such as in robotics, motion control, or distributed sensor systems.

CAN Gets faster, but not simply Ethernet

CAN XL takes a hybrid approach. CAN is not only extended in terms of data rate and payload but also enables the tunneling of Ethernet or TCP/IP. This allows diagnostic, sensor, and control data to be transmitted over a shared infrastructure. CAN XL can thus serve as an intermediate layer between traditional CAN and Ethernet, used in scenarios where Ethernet provides the necessary bandwidth, but its infrastructure and protocol stack are not required for every segment.

This very feature makes CAN XL interesting for future heterogeneous network architectures. Instead of setting up separate networks for different data classes, control messages, diagnostic information, and larger data blocks can be merged onto a shared communication infrastructure.

One challenge of higher data rates, however, lies on the hardware level. With increasing edge steepness, reflections and ringing on the bus become more critical. For this reason, the TCAN6062 integrates "Signal Improvement Capability" (SIC). According to the manufacturer, the SIC function is designed to reduce ringing in complex networks by up to 80 percent. This simplifies signal integrity analysis and validation, especially in networks with many nodes.

The component also remains committed to the CAN tradition in terms of robustness. The semiconductor specialist specifies fault voltage tolerance of up to ±58 V and supports a wide range of input and output voltages. This makes the transceiver suitable for various industrial power supply concepts and demanding environmental conditions.

CAN XL is Standardized, now the Hardware Is coming

The real step by TI lies in transferring the communication protocol to a commercially available hardware platform. The CAN XL specification has been under development for years and is now embedded in the current ISO standards. TI was involved in developing the physical layer through technical collaboration with CAN in Automation (CiA), which is specified in ISO 11898-2:2024.

With the TCAN6062, CAN XL is now available for the first time as a directly accessible transceiver technology for series development. This is more important for the adoption of the standard than another protocol specification on paper: Only with available PHYs, controllers, and development tools can developers actually integrate CAN XL into new architectures.

Between CAN FD and Ethernet

CAN XL is not intended to replace CAN FD. Instead, it creates a technology level between CAN FD and Ethernet. CAN FD remains sufficient for many traditional control tasks, while CAN XL addresses applications where CAN FD's 64-byte payload is no longer adequate. Ethernet, on the other hand, offers significantly higher bandwidths but comes with a different system architecture and different requirements for determinism and network management.

This is precisely where the strategic importance of CAN XL lies: more data rate and significantly larger frames without abandoning the fundamental characteristics of CAN. For industrial and robotic systems, CAN XL could become a cost-effective complement to existing CAN infrastructures, particularly where data volumes are increasing but strict real-time requirements still apply.

The CAN transceiver marks the transition of CAN XL from a standard specification to a readily available network technology. The key now will be how quickly CAN XL controllers, software stacks, and further transceivers reach the market. Only then can it be assessed whether CAN XL can truly fill the gap between CAN FD and Ethernet.