4/27/2019 What is the advantage of galvanic isolation in a CAN interface if it can also break?

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CAN-News What is the advantage

of galvanic isolation in a
CAN interface if it can
also break?
by Norbert Binder | Jan 16, 2017

The galvanic isolation in the CAN interface shall protect the CAN
controller and also the PC from high voltage incidents on the bus.

Under certain circumstances, the voltage differences in a CAN network

can reach values far beyond specification. This can not only destroy
CAN transceiver and CAN controller in the interface, it might as well 

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4/27/2019 What is the advantage of galvanic isolation in a CAN interface if it can also break?

have an impact on the PC hardware. In case of overvoltage on a PC

SELECT
card, this might be forwarded via e.g. PCI LANGUAGE
or PCIe motherboard
and the
can be destroyed as well. In seldom cases we also experienced USB
PRODUCTS APPLICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES
host controllers SUPPORT
were destroyed TECH
by such SERVICES CONTACT
effects.
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With a galvanic isolation, you still might have a defect on your CAN
interface (in most cases the CAN transceiver), but your much more 
expensive host system will not be affected.

Here are some aspects why even galvanic isolated devices can break:


Galvanic isolation is not between bus and CAN transceiver but
between CAN transceiver and CAN controller. Reason is, that the CAN
transceiver is the amplifying component which provides the voltage
levels for the CAN bus (similar to MAX232 on serial RS232
communication).

CAN transceivers have a certain tolerance which is rather high
considering the voltage levels defined for CAN. According to ISO
11898-2: -3 V to +16 V ( up to +32 V for vehicles with 24 V voltage
supply). CAN transceiver datasheets often state up to 36 V.

If there is any voltage difference on the bus which exceeds this
tolerance, the CAN transceiver might be destroyed or corrupted.

Reasons for such high voltage differences can be:


CAN-GND is not used as a common reference voltage level for the
CAN signals.
- CAN-Hi and CAN-Lo are always compared to CAN-GND.
- If galvanic isolation in the interfaces is used, CAN-GND is essential.
Otherwise it is free floating.

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4/27/2019 What is the advantage of galvanic isolation in a CAN interface if it can also break?

- If devices have independent power supplies, CAN-GND can have

SELECTflows
different levels. This means, that current LANGUAGE 
on CAN-GND. The
voltage difference gets usually bigger the longer the cable length in-
PRODUCTS APPLICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES
between the devices is.SUPPORT TECH
However, even SERVICES
with CONTACT
short cables, common
ABOUT HMS mode problems can occur.


See picture:

- 1 m CAN cable between a PC and slave device

- two independent power supplies
- 1.45 V potential difference between GND levels of these devices


EMI issues such as induction by drives, inverters or other machines
using high voltage or high frequencies.
- Shielded and twisted pair cables should be used!
- CAN should not be routed too close to power cables or EMI critical
devices.
- Shield and ground concept has to be planned carefully.


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4/27/2019 What is the advantage of galvanic isolation in a CAN interface if it can also break?

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