Cross-Validated Timing Analysis for Automotive CAN Networks (NYCU et al.)

Researchers from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) and Chung Yuan Christian University have published “A Cross-Validated DSPN and Worst-Case Response-Time Framework for Timing Analysis of Automotive CAN Networks”.

Abstract
“Controller Area Network (CAN) remains a key in-vehicle communication protocol for distributed automotive control systems, where predictable communication timing is essential for coordinated operation of electronic control units (ECUs). This paper presents a cross-validated framework for timing analysis of automotive CAN networks by combining Deterministic and Stochastic Petri net (DSPN) modeling with worst-case response-time (WCRT) analysis. A DSPN model is developed to represent CAN message generation, priority-based arbitration, bus access, and non-preemptive frame transmission. The model is implemented in TimeNet to evaluate bus utilization, queue occupancy, and access-delay behavior under representative automotive traffic. In parallel, analytical WCRT equations are used to derive conservative latency bounds for each message class. The proposed framework links stochastic performance observations from DSPN simulation with deterministic schedulability guarantees from WCRT analysis, enabling consistency checks between average-case and worst-case timing results. A case study based on a 500 kbit/s automotive CAN configuration with six priority classes is presented. The results show that the network operates at approximately 35.9% bus utilization and that all message classes satisfy their timing requirements with a substantial margin, with the maximum worst-case response time remaining below 2 ms. The study further discusses the modeling assumptions, abstraction limits, and sensitivity of timing behavior to frame length and traffic configuration. The proposed framework provides a practical methodology for timing-oriented design and early-stage validation of automotive CAN communication systems.”

Find the technical paper here. June 2026.

Chung, Yuan-Chih, and Ching-Hung Lee. “A Cross-Validated DSPN and Worst-Case Response-Time Framework for Timing Analysis of Automotive CAN Networks.” Electronics 15, no. 11 (2026): 2486. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15112486.