I2C to CAN Bus

Submitted by Amil on Mon, 08/17/2020 - 12:09

This PCB design focuses on extending the I2C range from on-board to off-board through transmission cables using CAN transceivers and (eventually) converting
the signal back to I2C (not necessary), but if the main focus of the project is on I2C,  this would be good. This approach allows for better signal integrity due to the differential signaling of the CAN transceivers. The differential signals allow for better EMI rejection, lower power, less concern of different ground potentials between boards, and the capability to use termination compared to extending the I2C lines using solely I2C buffers. This advantage can be useful in noisy environments where EMI is a concern such as factory automation or welding. I2C is typically thought of as an on-board solution and is not typically used for long-distance communication due to some inherent limitations such as restrictions on bus capacitance. Conventional buffers can be used to extend the communication range across cables, but these solutions typically only support about 8 meters maximum. This PCB design is specialized for an already made system, which has flowes in losing its data due to long cables. So, instead of making the entire project a new one, just implement this design in between. There are some pictures of the project in Altium Designer. 3D Model and schematic. If would someone like to make it, can send me a message regarding Gerber file.