enp6s0/tinysparrow

All-in-one CAN ECU core board

TinySparrow

Tiny, low-cost, CAN-enabled core board for simple ECU designs!

Ever wanted to integrate CAN features into your ECU projects, but didn't want to deal with building all the core parts (MCU/power/CAN PHY) all the time for every single one-off ECU?

Then TinySparrow is for you! This cute little board combines a STM32F103TB MCU, CAN transceiver, power regulation, and reverse polarity protection all in a single board, so it's ready to be integrated in all your CAN-enabled device ideas.

Bring your own X

To use TinySparrow in your project, simply create a carrier board and bring your own:

• Power source (+5 to +15V DC)
• Additional CAN bus ESD protection if needed (default transceiver is already ESD-rated for ±16 kV HBM, board is also TCAN332 compatible for even better protection)
• CAN termination (if needed)

For automotive applications, external load dump protection is required (TVS diode at a minimum).

NB: looking to put TinySparrow on a breadboard? Here's an adapter for that!

tinysparrow's Issues

Move more protection mechanisms onboard

These features are currently expected to be provided by the carrier board, although it would be nice to move onboard:

• Additional ESD protection for CAN bus (diodes & grounding capacitors)
• TVS for load dump protection

Potential problems in need of a solution:

• Current load dump protection solution uses a big TVS diode (Littelfuse SLD) which just doesn't fit here :(

Module pinout reorganization

Potentially breaking changes to module pinout:

• More GND
• Less VDC

Overall board revision

Generic stuff

• Thermal reliefs for GND pours
• Smaller traces for tighter routing
• Less board layers

(NB: the original reason for 6L isn't really that the board needs 6L, but the fab I used does ENIG for free on 6L boards while costing the same as 4L in smaller quantities I'm ordering them at...)

EMC improvements (not an expert on this, but we'll see)

• More GND pins (also covered in pinout revision)
• GND vias near signal vias
• Re-stackup of board to bring out signal layers, inner for power and/or ground