Network, today it´s all around us, but what is it exactly and how will it look in the future...?

What is network? The term network often means an association of electronic systems that exchange data.

Applications for Network

Nowadays, a network can be present in all things like laptops, tablets, smartphones, televisions, home electronics, etc. On top of that, a network is inside fridges, smart watches and even in toothbrushes.

Applications of a network are popular in the automotive industry and construction machinery. Electronic systems in automobiles have increased tremendously in recent decades. There is now a large proportion of electronics and less mechanics. Constantly rising demands on driving safety, exhaust emissions and fuel consumption require an accumulating exchange of information between the control units and an increasingly comprehensive central electronic system.

CAN

Bosch developed the first network system for cars was in 1983 to networki many controllers. It was called CAN-bus (Controller Area Network) and was the first ISO 11898 internationally standardized protocol for car Networks. It is still the premier Standard today. The CAN bus operates according to the ""multi-master principle"": Several equal control units (=bus nodes) are connected by a topological arrangement together (see shematic).

After the turn of the millennium, there are other networks like LIN and FlexRay. LIN is a slower low-cost network, which is suitable among other things for systems such as doors, seats and sunroofs. FlexRay, since 2006, is suitable for the high data rates of 10 Mbit/s, especially for time-critical applications in cars, like adaptive driving or safety systems. Watch this explanation video for a better understanding of CAN-bus:

It´s hard to predict which network innovation we´ll use in 50 or 100 years! However, we are eager to see what network technologies will come up on the horizon, providing us with new opportunities in the future.