Distributed Dynamic Scheduling of Controller Area Network Messages for Networked Embedded Control Systems

This paper presents an online, dynamic, and distributed message scheduling of communication packets over the controller area network (CAN) bus. Using online, dynamic, and distributed scheduling of messages, one can obtain better temporal characteristics for networked embedded control systems. The scheduling algorithm is implemented as a hardware unit which is augmented to the communication controller on all of the communicating nodes in the system. This insures minimum change in the current platforms used in CAN-based control applications like those found heavily in automotive and aerospace applications. We provide a number of experiments held over a physical CAN bus for controlling an automotive active suspension system and showing the effect of the proposed scheduling implementation on the quality of the control loop.