Functional Safety

Robustness, reliability and safety of end-products is becoming ever more important. In some application segments these requirements are formalized and mandatory, while in others this is implemented to differentiate the product, and take the step from a good product to an excellent product.

The standards for functional safety depend on the market that is targeted. Many standards support multiple levels of rigorousness, which are applied depending on the likelihood and severity of the hazard. The methods of addressing hazards range from detecting single failures and putting the system into a safe state, to full redundancy where failures should not only be detected but also corrected without any interruption or degradation of service.

STANDARD MARKETS

IEC 60730
Levels: A, B, C Equipment for household, such as controls for heating, air conditioning. The equipment may use electricity, gas, oil, solid fuel, solar thermal energy.

IEC 61508 (SIL)
Levels: 1, 2, 3, 4 Active safety systems such as fire suppression systems, switches in a tank containing flammable liquids.

ISO 26262 (ASIL)
Levels: A, B, C, D Automotive vehicles up to 3500 kg

IEC 62304
For medical software and software in medical devices

In addition to describing what must be tested and to what extent, the standards may also mandate development methods. This may include using qualified development tools. For microcontroller-based applications, one of the tools to be qualified is the C-compiler. Microchip and partners of Microchip offer compilers that are qualified, with some being certified by a Munich-based certification organization, TÜV SÜD.

VENDOR/PRODUCT QUALIFICATION

Microchip XC8 Compiler ISO 26262, IEC 61508, IEC 62304 and IEC 60730

Microchip XC16 Compiler ISO 26262, IEC 61508, IEC 62304 and IEC 60730

Microchip XC32 Compiler ISO 26262, IEC 61508, IEC 62304 and IEC 60730

IAR Embedded Workbench for Arm ISO 26262, IEC 61508, IEC 62304 and IEC 60730

Microchip offers a number of products that enable system-level compliance to functional safety. This means that they have integrated features, qualified test libraries, safety manuals, and FMEDA reports, depending on the standard and the level of safety they support. All these items make it easier to develop applications that conform to the functional safety standards, and thereby reduce the work and cost of the final product compliance.

MICROCONTROLLERS AVR^®/PIC^® MCUs PIC24/dsPIC^® MCUs SAM/PIC32 MCUs

Class B Library Yes Yes Yes

SIL [lvl] Library – – –

ASIL [lvl] Library – – –

AutoSAR/MCAL – Yes Yes

Application Notes Yes Yes Yes

Safety Manual Available upon Request
Contact your local sales rep Available upon Request
Contact your local sales rep –

FMEDA Reports Available uponRrequest
Contact your local sales rep Available upon Request
Contact your local sales rep –

Capacitive Touch Libraries* Available upon request
Contact your local sales rep – Yes

Safety-Qualified Compilers XC8 XC16 XC32

Code Coverage Tools

Available from MPLAB Code Coverage or third-party tools from vendors such as LDRA

*There are turnkey Capacitive Touch controllers available, such as the AT42QT1481

INTERFACE AND CONNECTIVITY PRODUCTS CAN AND CAN FD DEVICES LIN DEVICES

AutoSAR/MCAL Yes Yes

Safety Manual Yes Yes

FMEDA Reports Yes Yes