Task Force for operator environments

CAN in Automation (CiA) has established the CANopen Task Force (TF) for operator environments. It is intended to develop the CiA 401-based recommended practice for operator environments with human-machine interface functionality dedicated but not limited for construction, mining, agriculture and forestry machines, for harbor cranes, for boats and vessels, for wheelchairs and any other kind of machines on wheels. This includes any kind of operator environment such as driver and operator seats.

The CANopen interface hides the OE-internal networking, which could be based on CANopen or other network technologies.

The CANopen recommended practice should describe a single interface hiding the sub-layered devices such as joysticks, foot-pedals, encoders, display, pushbuttons, pulse wheels, etc. For displays, it is intended to use the network variables as specified in the CiA 302 series. When the deeply embedded communication system of the operator environment is based on CANopen, it is recommended to implement the CiA 302-7 bridge/router functionality. So the vehicle controller can access each operator devices individually be means of Remote SDO services.