What is CAN Transceiver : Top Manufacturers & vendors

A CAN transceiver is a communication interface device that enables Controller Area Network (CAN) nodes to transmit and receive data over a CAN bus. It converts digital signals from a CAN controller into differential signals for network communication and vice versa, ensuring reliable, high speed and noise resistant data exchange in automotive and industrial systems. The popular manufacturers are Texas, Microchip, NXP, Analog Devices etc.

In today’s automotive and industrial landscape, CAN bus networks remain the backbone for reliable, real time communication between multiple ECUs and control modules.

CAN Transceiver Selection Guide

It converts the controller’s digital signals into robust differential electrical signals for the two wire bus and protects the controller from electrical faults. It is interfaced with CAN controller on one side and CAN bus (consisting of CAN_H and CAN_L wires) on the other side.

1. Choose CAN transceiver in compatibility with CAN controller. Both should support same CAN standard to avoid errors.
2. Protection features : It should withstand higher voltage during faulty conditions to protect bus. Moreover ESD protection is also required to prevent damage during handling and operation. Thermal shutdown feature helps in protecting chip from overheat during faulty condition.
3. Data Rate : Select it as per speed requirement of the network such as 1 Mbps for classic CAN and 2 Mbps or 5 Mbps for CAN-FD etc.
4. Look for power management features such as low power modes, wake-up functionality etc.

CAN Transceiver Chip Manufacturers

Manufacturers	Product with Features
Texas Instruments (TI)	TCAN1042-Q1 :Automotive Fault-Protected CAN Transceiver with Flexible Data-Rate., Other parts : TCAN1043-Q1,TCAN330D, TCAN330GD etc.
Microchip Technology	MCP2561/2FD: High speed CAN-FD transceivers with standby mode and SPLIT pin, ATA6560 : High speed CAN transceiver with standby mode.
NXP Semiconductors	TJA1050 : High speed CAN transceiver widely used in industry, TJA1042 : High speed CAN transceiver with standby mode., Other parts are TJA1154,TJA1057 etc.
STMicroelectronics	L9616 : High Speed CAN transceiver, L9615 : CAN bus transceiver
Analog Devices (Including Maxim Integrated)	ADM3055E : Isolated CAN transceiver with integrated isolated power, ADM3050EBRWZ-RL (CAN-FD Transceiver)
ROHM Semiconductor	BD41044FJ-CE2: 5V CAN FD transceiver

CAN transceiver based modules

Several companies provide pre-built modules that incorporate CAN transceiver chips. These modules often include necessary passive components and connectors. They are available through electronics distributors such as Mouser, Digi-Key, Newark etc.

Comparison between CAN Tranceiver & CAN Controller

Feature	CAN Controller	CAN Transceiver
OSI model layer	Layer-2 (Data Link Layer) : Handles message framing, arbitration and error checking.	Layer-1 (Physical Layer) : Handles bit timing, voltage levels and physical connection to the wires.
Primary role	Protocol Management : Manages the rules, logic and framing of CAN messages	Physical Signaling : Converts signals between digital and electrical domains
Connection Interface	Connects to the main Microcontroller/CPU (via SPI, internal bus etc.) and to the Transceiver (via digital TX/RX pins).	Connects to the CAN Controller (via digital TX/RX pins) and to the physical CAN bus (via CAN_H/CAN_L pins).
Intelligence built-in	High, understands and enforces CAN protocol	Low, it has no knowledge of CAN protocol; it only converts voltage levels on its digital input
Signals handled by them	Digital Logic : Processes single ended digital signals (TTL/CMOS 1’s and 0’s) from/to the MCU.	Differential Analog : Creates and reads differential voltage signals on the CAN_H and CAN_L bus lines.

Summary

A CAN transceiver is an electronic component that connects a CAN controller to a CAN bus, converting logic-level signals into differential bus signals for reliable communication. Leading CAN transceiver manufacturers and vendors include NXP Semiconductors, Texas Instruments, Infineon Technologies, Microchip Technology, STMicroelectronics, and Analog Devices.