Berlin, June 16th, 2026
Kithara RealTime Suite Adds CAN FD Light Support
Kithara Software, a specialist in industrial real-time solutions, has announced support for CAN FD Light for Kithara RealTime Suite. The new feature expands the communication capabilities of the real-time operating system and enables the deterministic integration of CAN FD Light networks directly on Windows systems.
CAN FD Light is a simplified variant of CAN FD standardized in ISO 11898-1:2024. The protocol was developed for applications that benefit from the higher data rates and larger payloads of CAN FD while requiring lower node complexity and reduced implementation costs. With its commander/responder communication model, CAN FD Light enables the use of resource-efficient sensors, actuators, and embedded devices and is particularly well suited for cost-sensitive and highly distributed network architectures.
With the growing demand for compact and cost-efficient communication architectures in automotive electronics, industrial automation, and embedded control systems, CAN FD Light is becoming increasingly important for distributed real-time applications. By integrating the protocol into Kithara RealTime Suite, developers gain access to CAN FD Light communication with precise timing characteristics and low latency while continuing to benefit from the flexibility of Windows-based systems.
The implementation is designed for demanding real-time scenarios in which communication cycles, synchronization, and deterministic response times are critical. CAN FD Light frames can be transmitted and processed directly within Kithara's real-time environment – independently of non-deterministic influences from the operating system. This allows developers to combine modern CAN communication concepts with high-frequency control and measurement applications.
Support for CAN FD Light will be available with the upcoming version of Kithara RealTime Suite and complements Kithara's existing portfolio of real-time communication technologies, including EtherCAT, Ethernet, CAN/CAN FD, and PTP-based synchronization mechanisms.
With this addition, Kithara continues to expand support for emerging communication technologies and addresses the growing demand for deterministic data exchange. The protocol provides an efficient way to implement lean and cost-sensitive network architectures while maintaining high real-time performance on standards-based PC systems.
