Dynamic configuration of a time-triggered router for controller area network

The time-triggered router for CAN has as its goal to improves the dependability, performance and timeliness of CAN communication. The configuration of the CAN router includes knowledge about the permitted behavior of nodes in the time and value domains. Based on this configuration the CAN router performs fault isolation, diagnosis, message multicasting and message transformations. This paper presents architectural elements and algorithms for the modification of the router configuration at run-time. The router is realized as a Multi-Processor-System-on-a-Chip (MPSoC) and contains a dedicated hardware core for controlling the reconfiguration process. The configuration information is transferred to the cores responsible for the individual CAN segments through a time-triggered network-on-a-chip. We provide a solution for assured reconfiguration with predictable timing and continuity of service during the reconfiguration. An experimental evaluation demonstrates the bounded time for reconfiguration, as well as the seamless and consistent switching to new configurations.