Smart Cities

Microchip serves ISO 26262 functional safety packages for MCUs

Thu, Oct 21, 2021

To simplify the design of ASIL B and ASIL C safety applications using dsPIC, PIC18 and AVR microcontrollers, Microchip offers certified functional safety packages.

The certified functional safety packages enable automotive engineers to develop products as per the ISO 26262 functional safety standard. Microchip is releasing ISO 26262 functional safety packages for dsPIC33C digital signal controllers (DSCs), PIC18 and AVR microcontrollers (MCUs) to accelerate the development of safety-critical designs targeting ASIL B and ASIL C safety level and certification efforts.

The functional safety ecosystem for dsPIC33C DSCs includes AEC Q100 Grade 0-qualified functional safety ready dsPIC33C DSCs with dedicated hardware safety features. There are also SGS TÜV Saar-certified ASIL B-ready failure modes, an effects and diagnostic analysis (FMEDA) report and functional safety manual (FSM).

Designers can also access TÜV Rheinland-certified functional safety diagnostic libraries for designs targeting up to ASIL C and a functional safety reference application, showing the steps required to develop compliant designs, and the collateral that must be generated for (ASIL B or ASIL C) compliance

There are also various functional safety analysis reports and certification reports to assist compliance and certification.

For PIC18 and AVR MCUs, the functional safety ecosystem includes AEC Q100 Grade 1-qualified functional safety ready PIC18-Q84 MCUs with CAN FD and AVR DA MCUs with LIN interfaces and both with hardware support for capacitive touch sensors.

There is also the SGS TÜV Saar-certified ASIL B ready FMEDA report and FSM. In addition to functional safety diagnostic libraries, there are also ASIL B-ready certificates and certification reports.

Whether an engineer is new to ISO 26262 functional safety or a seasoned expert, Microchip says it is able to help them meet functional safety requirements and certify designs while minimising cost, risk and development time.

The functional safety packages, together with development tools (complete with the safety documents) allow engineers to develop compliant systems.

Microchip is offering three ISO 26262 functional safety packages to help customers with different levels of expertise and in different stages of their evaluation and design cycles.

The first is the functional safety basic package which offers basic resources like the ASIL B-ready certified FMEDA and safety manual to begin the evaluation of target functional safety levels and the design of safety-critical automotive applications.

Next is the functional safety starter package which offers ASIL B-ready certified FMEDA and safety manual, a reference application and ASIL C-compliant diagnostic libraries that help designers understand the ISO 26262-compliant development process and the reports that must be generated for compliance.

Thirdly, the functional safety full package is for beginners and seasoned experts to simplify the design and certification of safety-critical automotive applications. In addition to the offerings of the starter package, it includes certified diagnostic libraries with source code and the associated safety analysis reports for designs targeting up to ASIL C.

In addition to the functional safety packages, Microchip offers a TÜV SÜD-certified design tool package for its MPLAB development tools ecosystem. This includes a TÜV SÜD-certified MPLAB XC functional safety compiler with the TÜV SÜD certificate, a functional safety manual for the compiler along with safety plans and complete tools classification and qualification reports for the compiler, MPLAB X integrated development environment (IDE), MPLAB Code Coverage and all MPLAB development ecosystem programs. Microchip also offers functional safety-ready CAN FD and LIN transceivers and other companion devices, including voltage supervisor devices, which can be used with the functional safety ready DSCs and MCUs in a range of automotive applications.

The ISO 26262 functional safety ready dsPIC33C DSCs, and PIC18 and AVR MCUs are supported by the TÜV SÜD-certified MPLAB XC16 and MPLAB XC8 functional safety compilers (SW006022-FS and SW006021-FS), the MPLAB Code Coverage tool (SW006026-COV),  MPLAB X IDE, MPLAB development ecosystem debugger/programmers and the safety documentation package to make the tool qualification effort easier.

http://www.microchip.com

> Read More

Toshiba announces 20 M4N Arm Cortex-M4 microcontrollers

Wed, Oct 20, 2021

For industrial equipment requiring Ethernet and CAN control, the M4N group of Arm Cortex-M4 microcontrollers are manufactured on a 40nm process by Toshiba Electronics Europe.

They enhance the TXZ+ family and include an Arm Cortex-M4 core with floating point unit (FPU), running at speeds up to 200MHz. There is also an integrated 2Mbyte code flash and 32kbyte data flash memory with 100k write cycle endurance. The microcontrollers also offer a range of interfacing and communication options such as Ethernet, CAN and USB 2.0 FS OTG with integrated PHY.

The M4N group microcontrollers are suited to office equipment, building and factory automation applications, as well as being used in industrial networking and information management devices which are used in IoT-based home appliances, such as home security and smart meters.

They have enhanced communication functions integrated including a serial memory interface that also supports quad/octal SPI, audio interface (I2S) and external bus interface. There are also UART, FUART, TSPI and I2C interfaces supported by a built-in three-unit direct memory access controller (DMAC). The devices can allocate independent DMA and RAM for each peripheral circuit. A bus matrix circuit configuration allows the bus master to efficiently transfer data. This allows the M4N group devices to enable an Ethernet controller, CAN, and USB controller to be processed independently in parallel at the same time.

The devices support a variety of sensing applications with a high-speed, precision 12-bit analogue to digital converter (ADC) that allows individual sample and hold times to be set for each of the 24 ADC input channels. A dual-channel 8-bit digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) and a range of motor control functions are also included.

Self-diagnosis functions for ROM, RAM, ADC and clock help customers to achieve IEC60730 Class B functional safety certification, advises Toshiba.

Full documentation, sample software (with actual usage examples), and driver software for each peripheral are available for download on Toshiba’s website. Evaluations boards and development environments are also provided in cooperation with Arm ecosystem partners.

The M4N devices are available in a selection of fine-pitch LQFP and VFBGA packages.

https://toshiba.semicon-storage.com/eu

> Read More

SiP uses Bluetooth for direction finding

Wed, Oct 20, 2021

Suitable for indoor and industrial positioning applications, the Anna4-B4 module is a compact, Bluetooth low energy SiP by u-blox.

The compact Bluetoth 5.1 SiP features Bluetooth long range, Thread and Zigbee, as well as Bluetooth direction finding. Anna-B4 targets applications in harsh environments such as smart lighting networks and industrial circuit breakers as well as indoor positioning use cases in manufacturing sites, warehouses, hospitals, and smart cities.

The module measures 6.5 by 6.5mm including its integrated antenna. It integrates the Nordic nRF52833 chipset and supports Bluetooth mesh, long range, and direction finding, Thread and Zigbee protocols. Operating temperature is up to 105 degrees C, and the SiP is globally certified.

The Anna-B4 is available in two variants. The Anna-B412 is delivered with the u-connectXpress command application programming interface (API) based on industry-standard AT commands for accelerated time to market. Security includes secure boot which helps prevent malicious attacks by ensuring that only authenticated and authourised firmware and updates can run on the device.

There is also the Anna-B402, which features a powerful open CPU architecture for custom applications and adds support for the Zigbee and Thread wireless communication protocols. In addition to enabling concurrent communication over multiple wireless protocols, the module lets product developers build using these protocols using one single module.

Anna-B4 can be used in smart lighting networks that co-ordinate light intensity in response to presence detection and ambient light sensors using mesh technology.

Indoor asset tracking can benefit from Anna-B4’s small size, low power demand, and its support for Bluetooth direction finding, says u-blox. In particular, the ability to precisely locate tagged mobile assets in indoor environments. Indoor asset tracking is gaining traction in smart buildings, factories, hospitals, and warehouses.

Engineering samples of the Anna-B4 SiP will be available in January 2022.

u-blox  provides positioning and wireless communication in automotive, industrial, and consumer markets. The services and products let people, vehicles, and machines determine their precise position and communicate wirelessly over cellular and short range networks. The company has a broad portfolio of chips, modules, and secure data services and connectivity to empower its customers to develop solutions for the IoT, quickly and cost-effectively.

The company has headquarters in Thalwil, Switzerland and offices in Europe, Asia, and the USA.

http://www.u-blox.com

> Read More

Industrial flash memories extend temperature ranges for AIoT

Tue, Oct 19, 2021

Advantech is adopting Kioxia 112-layer flash BiCS5 in multiple series and form factors. The BiCS5 3D TLC SQFlash BiCS5 provides NAND chips with extended native temperature ranges for operation in extreme environments. They support use in applications that require ruggedised designs, adds the company.

The SQFlash BiCS5 provides 50 per cent faster flash speeds than previous NAND generation technology, says Advantech, and are suitable for high-resolution display applications such as gaming or medical displays and indoor/outdoor signage.

They deliver up to 8Tbyte capacity for 5G and Wi-Fi6 data transmission and AI analytical data storage used in edge computing, gaming, AI and smart manufacturing industries applications.

The devices also support SSD operation in wide temperature environments (-40 to 85 degrees C), making them suitable for energy sourcing facilities, automated factories and in-vehicle applications that require advanced reliability in harsh environments.

Advantech’s SQFlash series comprises a selection of security features with the wide coverage of a TCG-OPAL-compliant design. Flash Vault uses a password to secure the drive whilst hardware and firmware write protection prevents data replacement or removal. There is also crypto erase to enable full data sanitisation on the SQFlash.

The SQFlash BiCS5 product series will be available for early customer samples in October 2021. The BiCS5 NAND Flash will be implemented into more SQFlash series in 2022.

Founded in 1983, Advantech provides products and services. The company offers system integration, hardware, software, customer-centric design services, embedded systems, automation products, and global logistics support. It co-operates with partners in a range of diverse industries.

http://www.advantech.eu  

> Read More

About Smart Cities

This news story is brought to you by smartcitieselectronics.com, the specialist site dedicated to delivering information about what’s new in the Smart City Electronics industry, with daily news updates, new products and industry news. To stay up-to-date, register to receive our weekly newsletters and keep yourself informed on the latest technology news and new products from around the globe. Simply click this link to register here: Smart Cities Registration