DSP, Micros & Memory


Safety microcontrollers

17 October 2012 DSP, Micros & Memory

Texas Instruments has introduced new SafeTI design packages for safety-critical medical, industrial and energy motor control applications.

These design packages include 15 new Hercules RM4x ARM Cortex-R4 safety microcontrollers and TI’s complementary TPS65381-Q1 multi-rail power supply (PMIC).

The Hercules RM4x MCU and PMIC safety chipset maximises failure detection and mitigation while minimising software overhead. The devices adhere to the SafeTI-61508 design package, helping customers more easily achieve IEC 61508 certification and accelerate time to market with safety-critical products.

The addition of these RM4x safety microcontrollers expands the Hercules microcontroller product line, offering 35 configurations from which customers can choose to meet application-specific needs.

The new Hercules RM46x floating-point safety microcontrollers provide additional memory and performance configurations with expanded motor control capabilities and pin-compatibility with Hercules RM48x safety microcontrollers, introduced last year.

The new Hercules RM42x safety MCUs provide a smaller package, lower cost, entry-line solution with integrated motor control interfaces while also meeting safety standards. The compatible PMIC combines multiple power supplies and safety features such as voltage monitoring.

The expanded range of performance and memory options, from 100 MHz to 220 MHz lockstep ARM Cortex-R4 cores and 384 KB, 1 MB and 1,25 MB Flash, provide designers with more choices and scalability for feature-rich safety products.

Hardware safety features provide a high level of online diagnostics with lockstep cores; memory protection for the CPU and bus masters; error correction code (ECC) for Flash and RAM with single-bit error correction and double-bit error detection (SECDED).

In addition, the devices incorporate CPU and RAM built-in-self-test (BIST) for detection of potential latent faults; an intelligent error signalling module for action based on safety error; parity on peripheral RAMs; redundant analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and timers; and continuous voltage and clock monitoring.

Integrated motor control capability is enabled by enhanced pulse width modulation, sensor capture and quadrature encoder interfaces on-chip to eliminate multiple external components for motor control. The 32-channel timer co-processor serves as a diverse, redundant motor control channel and checks the integrity of the PWMs in the motor control loop.

On-chip Ethernet, CAN and USB connectivity enables networking and several options for data collection and field software upgrades. Safety documentation, including a safety manual and safety analysis reports, details how to implement Hercules microcontrollers in a safety-critical application, as well as failure modes, effects and diagnostic analysis (FMEDA) that provides the failure rate information needed to meet safety standards.

For more information contact EBV Electrolink, +27 (0)21 402 1940, [email protected], www.ebv.com



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