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Rating:  Summary: Not great, but no other choices. Review: This book contains some good introductory information on CAN, but it is hurt by poor readability. The book was originally written in German, and the translation to English is lacking. You can usually figure out what is meant, but some chapters are tough going. [usage hints to editor: "e.g." should only be used parenthetically]The main reason I bought the book was for the chapter on DeviceNet, and I was disappointed in the treatment of DeviceNet. I found the descriptions of DeviceNet frames were often confusing. If the book contained just _one_ example message for each type, it would have answered so many questions that I haven't been able to figure out after re-reading the text several times. What would have been wonderful would have been an example "session" that included connection setup and data exchange messages, but the DeviceNet chapter only contains examples of a small subset of the message types. After paying $80, I felt a little ripped-off, but it's the only thing I could find that covered DeviceNet at all. The introductory CAN info was OK, but it is available elsewhere in better prose for much less money. Sure, there are probably grammatical errors in this review, but you didn't pay $80 for it...
Rating:  Summary: An Exceptional Introduction to CAN Review: This book is a comprehensive textbook from which engineers can learn how to develop CAN networks and Higher Layer CAN Protocols. It is an essential part of any engineering library covering the physical, data link and higher layer protocols of CAN, including CANopen, DeviceNet, SAE J1939 and time-triggered CAN (TTCAN). It also included a review of several microcontroller brands that have integrated CAN controllers as well as a chapter devoted to planning and designing CAN networks that I, as a novice, found most useful. Having had no previous detailed experience with CAN, I was able to set up a CAN network and begin exchanging messages after reading this book. I believe this is a must read for anyone who is contemplating using CAN networks.
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