After nearly four decades, the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, which made the rise of the modern "computerized car" possible, is being phased out in favor of more capable technologies, such as automotive Ethernet. Since its introduction in 1986,1 CAN bus has provided a highly reliable, low-cost means of communication for the electronic control units (ECUs) that lurk within nearly every element of a modern vehicle's drivetrain, body electronics, and infotainment system.
Although developed primarily for automotive applications, the low cost and high reliability of CAN bus has earned its widespread use in a startlingly large number of other applications that include agricultural equipment, avionics, industrial automation, elevators/escalators, railroads, and maritime systems.