Intelligent safety watchdog IC chip for automotives

For desiging automotive safety systems in cars, Infineon has introduced its PRO-SIL safety products, which include SIL-supporting safety hardware, software and documentation. Key components of the Infineon safety solution are the TriCore-based microcontrollers, the SafeTcore software library, the new signature watchdog CIC61508, and the documentation.

The new intelligent Signature Watchdog IC chip; CIC61508 in combination with the Infineon's 32-Bit TriCore microcontrollers and the dedicated SafeTcore software can provide monitoring features compliant up to the highest risk level of functional safety according to the IEC61508 and ISO26262 automotive industry standards.

The CIC61508 is a safety watchdog, which can be integrated into safety relevant applications such as Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Electric Power Steering (EPS), airbag control, damping systems, and powertrain controls. The watchdog monitors the main microcontroller typically used in these types of embedded systems by providing features to detect common failure modes of clock, power supply and temperature related computational errors on the microcontroller.

The test features supported by the CIC61508 and stored in its ROM include an internal opcode test scheduler/sequencer, which generates a sequence of test requests with specific data and checks the response against a user-defined table. Other monitoring functions include the capability of detecting under-voltage and over-voltage in up to four power supplies, capability to monitor up to eight parallel data comparisons and verification functions, an operating system task monitor to check the predefined dispatch sequence and execution budgets of critical tasks and three independent system control pins which can be used to bring the system under control into a safe state in a deterministic manner.

SafeTkit: All elements for ASIL-D or SIL3 certification: The 32-bit SafeTkit offered by the company Hitex Development Tools provides a great introduction to the Infineon safety system for the TriCore microcontroller family by providing the heart of an ASIL-D/SIL3 capable platform in an easy-to-configure and easy-to-use format. The SafeTkit includes a TriCore evaluation board with the CIC61508 and the SafeTcore test library. Hitex also provides a complete tool chain including a TriCore compiler evaluation licence, a safety demonstration application and a test bench. A comprehensive set of documentation including safety manuals and quick start guide complete the safety kit. All the major safety features are available and can be reconfigured to assess their effect on system behavior and gain an understanding of the underlying concepts.

Availability: Engineering samples of the CIC61508 in TSSOP-38 packages with a wide ambient temperature range from -40 °C to 140 °C are available, with volume production planned for Q2 2011. The CIC61508 is supported by the SafeTcore software package featuring microcontroller core and peripherals tests to support functional safety applications according to IEC61508/ISO26262. An evaluation version of the SafeTcore software is available for download at http://www.infineon.com/SIL.

Package: small TSSOP-38

Further details on the new signature watchdog CIC61508 and the microcontroller portfolio of Infineon is available at www.infineon.com/CIC61508 and at http://www.infineon.com/microcontrollers. Safecore information and evaluation software are available for download at http://www.infineon.com/SIL