Embedded

Embedded safety controller is ‘first to be ASIL-D certified to ISO 26262:2018’

Wed, Feb 26, 2020

Infineon Technologies second generation Aurix (TC3xx) microcontrollers are the first embedded safety controllers worldwide to be certified for the highest automotive safety integrity level (ASIL D), according to the latest version of the ISO 26262 standard.

This standard describes a globally binding procedure for the development and production of safety-critical systems in cars. In December 2018, the current version of the standard replaced the original version from 2011. The certificate was issued by SGS TUEV Saar.

“This certification underpins our leadership in automotive safety,” said Peter Schaefer, vice-president and general manager automotive microcontrollers at Infineon. “We defined the safety architecture of our second generation Aurix microcontrollers before the new version of ISO 26262 was even available, and yet it fulfills all requirements for an ASIL D safety controller. We have achieved this through a holistic approach to safety that resulted in a sophisticated and robust architecture. Second generation Aurix microcontrollers thus provide the safety and trust necessary to make automated driving happen.”

AURIX TC3xx devices have up to six processor cores with 300 MHz clock frequency each. Up to four of them have an additional Lockstep core. With around 3,000 DMIPS, Aurix allows for functionally safe computing power supporting ASIL D among safety microcontrollers. Other features include safe internal communication buses and a distributed memory protection system.

Aurix allows the integration of software with different safety levels from different sources. This allows multiple operating systems and applications, such as steering, braking, airbag and driver assistance systems, to be hosted on a common platform.

As well as computing platforms for automated driving using Aurix as their safety host controller, the microcontrollers are used in radar systems for processing sensor data, in engine and transmission control, brake, airbag and steering systems, central gateways, domain control units, hybrid and electric cars, among other applications.

http://www.infineon.com

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iMotion IMC300 adds Arm MCU for variable speed drive flexibility

Mon, Feb 24, 2020

Infineon Technologies AG has released the IMC300 motor controller series combining the iMotion Motion Control Engine (MCE) with an additional microcontroller based on the Arm Cortex-M0 core.

IMC300 complements the IMC100 series and is aimed at variable speed drives that require high application flexibility. Both families, IMC100 and IMC300, share the same implementation of MCE 2.0 providing ready-to-use motor and optional PFC control.

Applying the MCE for controlling the motor, customers can focus on their system application that runs fully independently on the embedded Arm microcontroller.

Infineon’s field-proven MCE 2.0 implements efficient field oriented control of permanent magnet synchronous motors. The MCE integrates all required hardware and software building blocks as well as all necessary protection features resulting in a reduced bill of material. It undergoes continuous improvements with typically two releases per year.

The autonomous MCU offers a flexible peripheral set and can serve a multitude of purposes such as system functions, specific communication or drive monitoring. IMC300 devices are pre-certified for applications requiring functional safety according to UL/IEC 60730 (‘Class B’).

IMC300 derivatives are offered for motor drives with and without PFC control. Devices in LQFP-64 packages are in mass production, and LQFP-48 types will be released in the second quarter 2020.

Rapid prototyping of a drive inverter is enabled via two new control boards for the iMotion modular application design kit (MADK). MADK is a modular and flexible development platform providing a range of control and power board options for motor drive applications up to 1kW.

Infineon will showcase the new IMC300 series at Embedded World in Nuremberg, February 25 to 27, booth 225, hall 3A.

Highlights include solutions for automated driving and in-vehicle health monitoring, wireless charging, drones as well as automotive and industrial motor control.

http://www.infineon.com

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Aaeon designs compact board for edge computing

Wed, Feb 12, 2020

Designed for embedded artificial intelligence (AI) and edge computing, the PICO-WHU4 is the latest compact board available from Aaeon. It is built on the PICO-ITX form factor and powered by eighth generation Intel Core processors.

The PICO-WHU4 features the eighth generation Intel Core i3/i5/i7 and Celeron processors (formerly Whiskey Lake) with support for up to 16Gbyte of DDR4 RAM. The computing power, despite the compact PICO-ITX form factor, allows the PICO-WHU4 to power AI and edge computing applications. It has a wide operating temperature range of 0 to 60 degrees C. It offers an I/O configuration designed to integrate with almost any embedded application, says Aaeon. There are two Ethernet ports, two HDMI ports, and four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports. The board also has two COM headers, supporting RS-232/422/485 serial port operation.

The PICO-WHU4 can be expanded with an M.2 slot providing support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. An mSATA/mPCIe slot can support expansions such as the AI Core X with Intel Movidius Myriad X.

Aaeon can also custom-configure the PICO-WHU4 to suit specific customer projects, helping to reduce development time and time-to-market.

The PICO-WHU4 is also available as a turn-key solution, the PICO-WHU4-SEMI compact embedded system. It has a compact chassis, which is described by Aaeon as easy to set up and deploy.

The PICO-WHU4 can be used in a variety of vertical markets, including smart retail and smart cities.

Established in 1992, Aaeon designs and manufactures professional intelligent IoT solutions. It provides industrial motherboards and systems, industrial displays, rugged tablets, embedded controllers, network appliances and related accessories, as well as integrated solutions. The company also has the hardware and services for premier OEM/ODMs and system integrators worldwide.

As an Associate Member of the Intel Internet of Things Solutions Alliance, Aaeon offers customised end-to-end services from initial product conceptualisation and board product development to mass manufacturing and after-sales service programs.

http://www.aaeon.com

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Microchip introduces MPLAB TÜV SÜD-certified tools

Thu, Jan 16, 2020

Functional safety certifications can be time-consuming and expensive, so Microchip has announced TÜV SÜD certification of its MPLAB XC compilers for functional safety. The tools significantly simplify the functional safety qualification process for Microchip’s PIC, AVR and SAM microcontrollers and dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs), claims the company.

To further simplify testing and diagnostics, Microchip also introduced MPLAB Code Coverage license, which determines parts of software that have or have not been executed with minimal impact to the application.

The MPLAB XC functional compilers certified by TÜV SÜD contribute to satisfying the verification and validation requirements specified in the ISO 26262 standard for automotive safety, IEC 61508 for industrial applications, IEC 62304 for medical software and IEC60730 for automatic electric controls. The MPLAB XC Compilers for Functional Safety will be packaged with additional documentation for qualification of the MPLAB X integrated development environment (IDE) and MPLAB debuggers and programmers. With no annual renewal fees, the licenses are the lowest-cost solution on the market. Using Microchip’s microcontrollers with the functional safety licenses will reduce application costs and time to market, the company advises.

Ensuring high test coverage of embedded software using code coverage tools often requires a large amount of hardware modification, expensive software and significant effort searching large data files for pertinent information. MPLAB Code Coverage has less than one per cent impact to test time. Through a patented process, code can be tested in a single pass without breaking the code into blocks. This saves time and eliminates sifting through large data files.

In addition to offering development tools that make it easier, faster and more affordable to comply to functional safety standards, Microchip also offers many PIC, AVR, dsPIC and SAM microcontrollers that are functional safety-ready. For all functional safety ready microcontrollers, Microchip provides Failure Mode Effect and Diagnostics Analysis (FMEDA) reports and safety manuals targeting ISO 26262 up to ASIL-B safety levels, with some products achieving ASIL-D.

MPLAB X IDE version 5.25 is available for free on Microchip’s website. The MPLAB Code Coverage workstation license and MPLAB XC8, XC16 and XC32++ functional safety workstation licenses are available today.

http://www.microchip.com

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