CAN FD Controller with SPI Interface: Microchip MCP2517FDT-H/SL

The Microchip MCP2517FDT-H/SL is a stand-alone Controller Area Network with Flexible Data-Rate (CAN FD) controller designed to simplify the implementation of high-speed, robust network communication in embedded systems. It serves as a critical interface between a host microcontroller (MCU) and a physical CAN bus, enabling even MCUs without a built-in CAN peripheral to connect seamlessly to a CAN FD network.

A primary advantage of this controller is its serial peripheral interface (SPI). This common interface standard allows for a simple and fast connection to a vast array of microcontrollers, reducing design complexity and pin count. The MCP2517FD enhances this with a programmable SPI clock rate, supporting high-speed data transfers essential for handling the increased bandwidth of CAN FD frames.

The device fully supports the CAN FD protocol (ISO 11898-1:2015), which is a major evolution of the classical CAN standard. CAN FD offers two key improvements: increased data payload (up to 64 bytes per frame) and significantly higher data rates (up to 8 Mbps in the data phase). This allows for more efficient and faster data exchange compared to the classical 8-byte payload limit, making it ideal for advanced automotive, industrial, and aerospace applications.

To ensure reliable operation in electrically harsh environments, the MCP2517FD incorporates several robust features. These include two receive buffers and three transmit buffers with prioritization, ensuring critical messages are handled promptly. It also features power-saving modes for low-power applications and extensive programmable interrupt capabilities to efficiently notify the host MCU of events, reducing the need for constant polling.

The part number suffix ‘H/SL’ denotes the specific package type (SOIC-14), making it suitable for standard surface-mount assembly processes. Its standalone nature provides designers with flexibility, allowing them to add CAN FD connectivity to new or existing designs without changing the core MCU architecture.

ICGOODFIND: The Microchip MCP2517FDT-H/SL is a highly flexible and powerful solution for integrating high-speed CAN FD communication into embedded systems via a simple SPI interface, offering a perfect blend of performance, reliability, and design simplicity.

Keywords: CAN FD Controller, SPI Interface, MCP2517FD, Flexible Data-Rate, Embedded Communication.