Automotive developers find easier path to ISO26262 safety conformance through TI and YOGITECH alliance

HOUSTON, USA: Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) and YOGITECH have announced their collaboration to accelerate ISO26262 enablement of 65-nanometer TMS570 safety microcontrollers (MCUs).

Leveraging each company's strengths in silicon, functional safety and methodology, the collaboration will make future TMS570 devices suitable for use in systems conforming to the upcoming safety standard for the automotive industry.

TI has a proven functional safety development process based on the company's lockstep dual-core CPU architecture and has been deemed suitable for use in IEC 61508 systems. In May 2009, a functional safety assessment was performed by exida Consulting, LLC, and the TMS570LS2x was found to meet the requirements of safety standard IEC 61508 SIL-3.

"Carmakers want the fastest path to ISO26262 conformance, as the standard is set to publish in mid-2011 and will be a requirement in the electronics sourcing process," said Brian Fortman, system engineering manager for TI's TMS570 safety MCUs. "By working with YOGITECH, we are defining state-of-the-art functional safety for MCUs."

"Knowing TI's reputation and pedigree in delivering System-on-Chips (SoCs) for automotive safety, YOGITECH is excited to work with TI," said Silvano Motto, CEO of YOGITECH. "This collaboration is yet another acknowledgement of YOGITECH's consolidated reputation and also confirms our growth strategy in ISO26262 - and IEC61508 - related markets."

TI, a member of the International Working Group of ISO26262, has been delivering MCUs into the automotive industry for more than 20 years and has a strong history of leadership and innovation. TI's MCUs are used in the vast majority of automotive safety systems around the world, such as antilock braking systems and airbag electronics, steering, driver assistance, HEV/EV drivetrain and domain control. The TI automotive portfolio extends into mixed signal solutions integrating analog-, power-, digital-circuits, as well as embedded processors.

YOGITECH brings a wealth of functional safety background and knowledge to the collaboration through their globally recognized expertise in fault detection, avoidance and tolerant techniques. It is the owner of fRMethodology, a process flow allowing a safety oriented design exploration at SoC level thus providing quantification and validation of the HW architectural metrics and failure rates required for IEC61508 or ISO26262 certification.

YOGITECH also holds a fault robust IP portfolio enabling and facilitating the compliance of electronic circuits to these functional safety norms.

The collaboration leverages TI's automotive expertise in silicon and electronic safety systems and YOGITECH's recognized leadership in methodologies for semiconductor design for functional safety. TI and YOGITECH have been contributing to the development of functional safety standards, including collaboration on the guidelines for the application of ISO26262 for MCUs.

The TMS570LS2x is certified as suitable for use in IEC61508 SIL-3 systems.