Traditional vs. remote-controlled edge nodes

Figure 2 shows a traditional edge node block diagram. In the traditional architecture, the local MCU includes a HAL, which is the software that defines how device software drivers interact with the hardware. The edge MCU receives commands from the controller MCU over a network interface, typically a CAN Flexible Data-Rate (CAN FD) Local Interconnect Network, and controls local hardware based on instructions from the controller.

For example, if the upstream controller MCU sends a command to the edge MCU node to “roll driver window up,” the edge MCU translates this message into specific hardware actions, including rolling the window up, performing a window soft close, and protecting against a potential motor stall or window pinch event. The edge-node MCU communicates necessary SPI messages to the motor driver and implements the real-time control loop of the window motor through pulse-width modulation (PWM) outputs to the half-bridge motor driver, while using integrated analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) to monitor the motor current and counting Hall-effect pulses for window position tracking.

Figure 3 shows a remote-controlled edge-node block diagram. This architecture moves the HAL and real-time actuator upstream into the commander ECU’s MCU, eliminating the edge-node MCU entirely. The controller MCU now can send a command that includes device communication protocol frames or peripheral control (SPI, I2C, UART, PWM output control, ADC sampling or GPIO).

For window lift applications, the controller transmits the direct control data (SPI motor driver command and PWM output setting) over the network, embedded within standard communication protocol data payloads (CAN FD light or 10BASE-T1S). A communication bridge in the edge node extracts these protocol data payloads to output the SPI frames and PWM signal on the appropriate GPIO pins. For sensor feedback, this bridge samples an internal or external ADC and Hall-effect sensor data and sends it back to the commanding ECU to complete the control loop.