Approaching a specific technical issue, the CAN communication protocol, Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Lift Engineering Application, has identified the inevitable development trend of the elevator industry in particular and the global industry in general. That is the trend of “open” to the public and “closed” to specialized niches.
At the seminar “Sustainable Development Trends of the Future Elevator Industry” within the framework of the Vietnam Elevator Expo 2023, held on December 7, 2023, in Ho Chi Minh City, the presentation “From Data Transmission Method to Elevator Development Solutions” by Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh has attracted the attention of many domestic and international enterprises.
The issue presented in this presentation not only approaches a technical issue that is being effectively applied in elevator production but also summarizes an inevitable development trend of the elevator industry in particular and the global industry in general. That is the trend of “open” to the public and “closed” to specific niches.
In the mid-1980s, electronic control units (ECUs) in the automotive industry were linked to each other through dedicated wires. The connection became complex and costly as the number of sensors and ECUs required increased. To address this problem, Robert Bosch GmbH of Germany began developing the CAN protocol in 1983 which was first applied to the BMW 850 in 1986.
With a lower cost and more efficiency than the previous communication protocol, CAN has not only become a breakthrough in the automotive industry but has also been widely applied in other fields, including elevators. What makes CAN different from previous protocols is that it allows ECUs device to communicate serially with each other through only 2 wires.
CAN communication protocol frame format
Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh explains that the CAN communication protocol, which was originally designed for the automotive industry, is now being utilized in other industries as well, including elevators. The development of various communication protocols has been based on the CAN communication protocol, such as the open communication protocol known as CANopen.
The CANopen standard was first introduced in 1994 by the CAN in Automation (CiA). It is a widely used standard for data communication in many industries, including healthcare, aircraft control, ships, elevators, etc.
In simple terms, CANopen is a type of CAN data communication that meets the CiA standard.
When using CAN, research and manufacturing companies must develop their own language system and rules. This can be challenging, as it can lead to a lack of compatibility with other systems and devices.
By following the CANopen standard, businesses can use a common language system that is supported by a wide range of partners and suppliers. This can make it easier to integrate CAN into existing systems and to find replacement parts and components.
“CANopen is an open data transmission protocol that represents standardization that all enterprises can access. However, the application technologies invested and researched by enterprises themselves bring the potential for development, creating superior products, new and pioneering inventions,” said Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh at the seminar.
Building on the discussion of CAN and CANopen technology, Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh outlined a two-pronged development trend that is inevitable for the elevator industry.
That is the trend of “open” to the public and “closed” to the specialized niche.
Specifically, according to Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh, with the large and potential elevator market worldwide today, following a common standard similar to CANopen is a beneficial application direction for all stakeholders in the elevator market.
Society: Reduced production costs, reduced social waste
Consumers: Access to affordable, easy-to-buy products
Businesses: Have a close relationship with each other to form a sustainable ecosystem
Besides the opportunities, Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh also raised the challenges when all enterprises follow the common standard without investing in new research and development.
Based on these insightful analyses, Dr. Nguyen Duc Hanh summarized two parallel and sustainable development trends of the elevator industry in particular and the global industry in general.
The open trend: This trend is focused on common technologies and applications that meet the general needs of society, bringing benefits to the majority. It is suitable for medium-sized and small-scale enterprises that target the general customer base.
The closed trend: This trend is focused on superior technologies and applications that meet the specific needs of certain customers, such as elevators for super-tall buildings, ultra-fast elevators, with special drive designs/technologies, etc. It is suitable for leading, pioneering companies and is expected to bring out new inventions, promoting the development of the entire industry.
