Patent ID: 6845416

Claim:
A system for synchronizing a Controller Area Network (CAN) interface with a peripheral device, the system comprising: a peripheral device, coupled to a host computer via an I/O bus; a CAN interface, coupled to the host computer via the I/O bus, wherein the CAN interface comprises: a memory configured to store program code; an embedded processor coupled to the memory, and configured to execute the program code; bus interface logic coupled to the embedded processor; and CAN interface logic coupled to the embedded processor and configured for interfacing with a CAN bus; and an interconnecting bus, coupling the peripheral device to the CAN interface via the bus interface logic of the CAN interface, wherein the peripheral device is operable to generate an asynchronous trigger on the interconnecting bus in response to a peripheral event; wherein the CAN interface is operable to receive the asynchronous trigger via the interconnecting bus; wherein the embedded processor is operable to execute the program code to perform a CAN event in response to said CAN interface receiving the asynchronous trigger on the interconnecting bus from the peripheral device, wherein the CAN event is performed substantially synchronously with the peripheral event; and wherein the generation and receipt of the asynchronous trigger, and the performing the CAN event are performed independently of the I/O bus.