Controller area network apparatus with reconfiguration signalling

A second apparatus comprising:

• at least a first terminal configured to couple the second apparatus to a first bus wire of a communication bus and a second terminal configured to couple the second apparatus to a second bus wire of the communication bus;
• a transceiver arrangement for communicating with one or more network nodes via the communication bus, the transceiver arrangement configured to provide differential signalling at the first terminal and the second terminal according to a communication scheme and receive differential signalling from the first terminal and second terminal from the communication bus according to the communication scheme, wherein the communication scheme defines at least a voltage to be used to provide said differential signalling;
• and
• the second apparatus is configured to:
• based on receipt of a reconfiguration signal received from an apparatus coupled to the communication bus, provide for switching from use of differential signalling to single-ended signalling using only one of said first bus wire and second bus wire.

A method performed by a first apparatus configured to couple to a first bus wire and a second bus wire of a communication bus and at least one second apparatus configured to couple to the first bus wire and the second bus wire of the communication bus, the first apparatus and the second apparatus each comprising a transceiver arrangement for communicating with one another via the communication bus, each transceiver arrangement configured to provide differential signalling to the first and second bus wires according to a communication scheme and receive differential signalling from the first and second bus wires according to the communication scheme, wherein the communication scheme defines at least a voltage to be used to provide said differential signalling;

• wherein the method comprises:
• receiving, by the first apparatus, a fault detection signal from a fault determination device, the fault detection signal indicative of the occurrence of a fault in at least the communication bus and one or more connections between the first apparatus and the communication bus,
• transmitting, by the first apparatus in response to receipt of said fault detection signal, a reconfiguration signal via at least one of said first bus wire and said second bus wire and wherein at least part of the reconfiguration signal has a high-voltage-level comprising a voltage higher than that defined in the communication scheme for said differential signalling;
• and
• receiving said reconfiguration signal by the second apparatus;
• switching, by the second apparatus in response to said receiving of the reconfiguration signal, from transmitting and receiving of the differential signalling to transmitting and receiving single-ended signalling using only one of the first bus wire and the second bus wire.