Raspberry Pi CAN FD and 10BASE-T1L: Building Industrial IoT and Embedded Networking Solutions

The Raspberry Pi has become one of the world’s most popular embedded computing platforms. It is inexpensive, powerful, runs a full Linux operating system, and supports countless programming languages and development tools.

Yet many engineers quickly discover a limitation when they move from software development into real-world industrial applications.

The Raspberry Pi provides Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPIO, SPI, and I²C interfaces—but it has no native support for CAN FD or the emerging Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) standards used in modern industrial and automotive networks.

This creates an obvious question:

How can you transform a Raspberry Pi into a professional development platform capable of communicating with both CAN FD and 10BASE-T1L networks?

The answer is surprisingly simple.

The Challenge

Modern embedded systems rarely operate in isolation.

Today’s devices frequently need to exchange information with:

• Industrial controllers
• Remote sensors
• Vehicle ECUs
• Battery management systems
• Energy monitoring equipment
• Process automation networks
• Building automation systems

Many of these systems rely on CAN Bus or CAN FD because of their robustness, deterministic communication, and exceptional reliability.

At the same time, industrial networking is rapidly adopting Single Pair Ethernet (SPE), allowing both data and power to be transmitted over a single twisted pair while dramatically reducing wiring complexity.

Unfortunately, these technologies are not available on a standard Raspberry Pi.

Without additional hardware, developers often end up connecting multiple external adapters, USB interfaces, or custom electronics—adding unnecessary complexity and reducing reliability.

A Better Solution

The PiCAN FD HAT with 10BASE-T1L for Raspberry Pi was designed specifically to solve this problem.

Instead of assembling multiple interface boards, the HAT combines two powerful industrial communication technologies onto a single Raspberry Pi expansion board:

• High-speed CAN FD
• 10BASE-T1L Single Pair Ethernet

Together, they transform the Raspberry Pi into an industrial communications gateway suitable for development, testing, prototyping, and deployment.

Why Raspberry Pi Makes an Excellent Industrial Platform

Although originally introduced as an educational computer, today’s Raspberry Pi offers capabilities that make it highly attractive for professional embedded development.

Advantages include:

• Quad-core 64-bit processors
• Linux operating system
• Gigabytes of RAM
• Gigabit networking
• Extensive Python, C/C++, and Rust support
• Large open-source ecosystem
• Built-in remote management capabilities
• Excellent long-term software support

Perhaps even more important, Raspberry Pi development is incredibly fast.

Instead of writing low-level firmware for every feature, developers can leverage mature Linux libraries, networking stacks, databases, web servers, Docker containers, MQTT brokers, and cloud services.

The result is dramatically shorter development cycles.

Why CAN FD?

Classical CAN remains one of the most reliable field buses ever developed.

CAN FD extends those capabilities by offering:

• Payloads up to 64 bytes
• Data rates up to 8 Mbps
• Improved bandwidth
• Greater efficiency
• Backward compatibility with many existing CAN installations

These improvements make CAN FD ideal for:

• High-speed data acquisition
• Advanced diagnostics
• Robotics
• Electric vehicles
• Industrial automation
• Machine control
• Data logging

The board uses the proven Microchip MCP2518FD controller and integrates seamlessly with Linux SocketCAN, allowing applications to access the interface as a standard CAN network device.

Why 10BASE-T1L Matters

Single Pair Ethernet is becoming one of the most important technologies in industrial networking.

Unlike conventional Ethernet, which typically requires four twisted pairs, 10BASE-T1L operates over just a single balanced pair.

Its benefits include:

• Reduced cable cost
• Smaller cable bundles
• Simplified installation
• Long cable distances
• Native Ethernet connectivity
• Seamless integration with IP-based networks

For industrial plants, process automation, smart buildings, and energy systems, this represents a significant step toward converged Ethernet architectures.

The PiCAN HAT incorporates the Microchip LAN8651 MAC/PHY, providing direct support for IEEE 802.3cg Single Pair Ethernet.

Typical Applications

Because the Raspberry Pi runs Linux while simultaneously supporting CAN FD and 10BASE-T1L, numerous applications become possible.

Industrial IoT Gateway

Collect CAN FD data from field devices and forward it to cloud services using MQTT, HTTP, OPC UA, or REST APIs.

Predictive Maintenance

Monitor motors, pumps, compressors, and industrial equipment while simultaneously forwarding operational data over Ethernet for analysis.

Automotive Development

Connect to CAN FD networks for ECU testing, diagnostics, firmware validation, and data logging.

Smart Manufacturing

Bridge legacy CAN-based machinery with modern Ethernet infrastructure without replacing existing equipment.

Energy Management

Collect measurements from distributed controllers and transmit them over Single Pair Ethernet into supervisory control systems.

Process Automation

Develop intelligent edge controllers that combine deterministic CAN communication with modern Ethernet networking.

Research and Education

Create affordable laboratory platforms for learning CAN FD, SocketCAN, Linux networking, and Single Pair Ethernet technologies.

Rapid Software Development

One of the biggest advantages of the Raspberry Pi ecosystem is the available software.

Developers can immediately begin working with:

• Python
• C/C++
• SocketCAN
• Docker
• Node-RED
• MQTT
• SQLite
• InfluxDB
• Grafana
• REST APIs
• Web dashboards

Instead of spending weeks building infrastructure, engineers can focus on solving their application problem.

Future-Proof Your Designs

Industrial networking continues to evolve toward Ethernet-based architectures while CAN FD remains indispensable for embedded control systems.

Rather than choosing between the two technologies, the PiCAN FD HAT allows developers to use both simultaneously.

This makes the Raspberry Pi an excellent platform for developing gateways, edge controllers, industrial data acquisition systems, and intelligent automation solutions that must communicate across multiple network technologies.

Conclusion

As industrial systems become increasingly connected, engineers need development platforms that bridge proven field buses with next-generation Ethernet networks.

The Raspberry Pi already delivers exceptional computing performance, Linux flexibility, and an unmatched software ecosystem.

By adding the PiCAN FD HAT with 10BASE-T1L, the platform gains reliable CAN FD communication alongside modern Single Pair Ethernet connectivity, creating a compact and affordable solution for industrial automation, automotive development, robotics, energy management, and Industrial IoT applications.

Whether you’re building a prototype, validating a new network architecture, or developing a production-ready gateway, combining Raspberry Pi with CAN FD and 10BASE-T1L provides a practical foundation for the next generation of embedded systems.

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