ISO 11898

ISO 11898
Original: unknown Vector: Pduive23 · Public domain · source
Title	ISO 11898
Status	Published
Year	1993
Organization	International Organization for Standardization
Related	Controller Area Network, CAN, CAN FD

ISO 11898 ISO 11898 is an international standard defining the Controller Area Network (CAN) serial communication protocol used in automotive, industrial, and embedded systems. The standard specifies physical layer, data link layer, and diagnostics conventions that enable interoperability among controllers from different manufacturers. ISO 11898 has influenced protocols, toolchains, and product ecosystems across automotive suppliers, avionics contractors, semiconductor companies, and standards bodies.

Overview

ISO 11898 defines the Controller Area Network protocol that underpins communications among electronic control units designed by Bosch (company), Robert Bosch GmbH, NXP Semiconductors, Infineon Technologies, Texas Instruments, and STMicroelectronics. The standard complements work by International Electrotechnical Commission and interacts with specifications from SAE International and IEEE. Implementations reference test suites maintained by VDE (association), CENELEC, and regional consortia including AUTOSAR and GENIVI Alliance. Hardware suppliers such as Intel, Analog Devices, Microchip Technology, and Renesas Electronics provide CAN controllers and transceivers that conform to ISO 11898 profiles used by Volkswagen Group, Toyota Motor Corporation, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and BMW Group.

History and Development

Development of ISO 11898 drew on research from Bosch (company) engineers responding to automotive networking needs in the 1980s, alongside parallel efforts in avionics by Honeywell International and Rockwell Collins. Early standardization engaged experts associated with International Organization for Standardization committees and influenced work at DIN, JISC, SAE International, and ISO/TC22. Industry adoption accelerated following demonstrations at conferences hosted by IEEE Communications Society, ACM SIGCOMM, and trade shows such as Electronica (trade fair) and Nuremberg Toy Fair. Subsequent revisions referenced testing frameworks from Underwriters Laboratories and conformance activities by ETSI and TÜV Rheinland.

Technical Specifications

ISO 11898 specifies the data link layer arbitration, frame format, error detection, and signaling levels consistent with implementations in controllers by NXP Semiconductors and Texas Instruments. The standard details non-return-to-zero (NRZ) physical signaling used with transceivers from Analog Devices and Microchip Technology, and defines bit timings compatible with oscillators manufactured by Seiko Epson and Murata Manufacturing. Frame types described in the specification parallel implementations in stacks created by Vector Informatik, Peak System, Kvaser AB, and SEGGER Microcontroller. Error handling mechanisms in the standard influenced diagnostics work by Robert Bosch GmbH and conformance test suites developed by VDA (association). The specification also interoperates with security and functional safety standards such as ISO 26262, IEC 61508, and automotive diagnostic protocols standardized by ISO 14229 and SAE J1939.

Implementations and Variants

ISO 11898 spawned multiple variants and vendor-specific extensions implemented by firms like Bosch (company), Intel, NXP Semiconductors, Infineon Technologies, and Renesas Electronics. Commercial stacks from Vector Informatik, Mentor Graphics (now Siemens EDA), Wind River Systems, and ETAS implement ISO 11898 link-layer services and coexist with higher-layer protocols from AUTOSAR and OPC Foundation. Variants such as CAN FD prompted collaboration among Bosch (company), Michelin (company), and chipmakers, while gateway products from Continental AG, Denso Corporation, and ZF Friedrichshafen AG provide multi-bus bridging. Open-source implementations hosted by communities around Linux Foundation, Zephyr Project, Arduino LLC, Raspberry Pi Foundation, and GitHub enable experimentation and education.

Applications and Industry Use

ISO 11898 is widely used in vehicle networks deployed by Daimler AG, Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance, Hyundai Motor Group, Volvo Group, and Tata Motors. Beyond automotive, ISO 11898 underpins industrial automation systems by Siemens, Schneider Electric, and Rockwell Automation, maritime control systems by Kongsberg Gruppen, and rail signaling projects involving Alstom and Siemens Mobility. Medical device developers at Philips and Siemens Healthineers have used CAN-derived buses for embedded control, and aerospace contractors such as Airbus and Boeing reference related networking practices in avionics data networks alongside standards from RTCA and EUROCAE.

Compliance and Testing

Conformance and interoperability testing for ISO 11898 implementations are conducted by laboratories accredited by TÜV SÜD, DEKRA, UL Solutions, and national bodies such as NIST and BSI Group. Test tooling and analyzers from Vector Informatik, Kvaser AB, Peak System, and Teledyne LeCroy support protocol validation, while certification processes align with safety standards promulgated by ISO 26262 and audit regimes used by Lloyd's Register. Industry consortia like CAN in Automation coordinate plugfests attended by suppliers including Bosch (company), Continental AG, Denso Corporation, and ZF Friedrichshafen AG to validate interoperability.

Category:Computer bus standards