DSPIC33 Digital Signal Controllers – Functional Safety Ready and Designed for Robust End Products

As the amount of electric and electronic components in automobiles and, more recently, mobility solutions has increased significantly, ISO26262 has become a crucial component of passenger safety in today's automotive uses. The DSPIC33 family from Microchip Technology is frequently used in digital power and motor control applications throughout the automotive market, including DC/DC systems and on-board chargers, actuators, and sensors (position, pressure), for which ASIL requirements are applicable. This helps customers achieve the desired Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) certification.

Select dsPIC33 Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) are products that contains Microchip’s Functional Safety Ready designation. They have been carefully selected as ones that encompasses the latest Functional Safety features and support collateral available from Microchip, including integrated safety features; safety manuals; Failure Mode, Effect, Diagnostic Analysis (FMEDA) reports; and in some cases, diagnostic software.

Safety and Robustness Collateral
Make your certification process easier and less risky with Microchip’s high-quality collateral:
- Automotive grade silicon (Q100 qualification, up to Grade 0)
- Functional safety diagnostic firmware (with complete requirements mapping, static/dynamic analysis and test reports)
- Failure Mode, Effects and Diagnostic Analysis report
- Functional safety manual
- MPLAB^® XC functional safety certified compilers
- MCAL drivers for Autosar

These are available under NDA upon request to your local Microchip sales office.

Applications
Here are some example of robust end products requiring dsPIC33C DSC Functional Safety Ready products:

• On-board chargers

• Battery management systems

• Sensors (position, pressure)

Safety and Robustness Capabilities

The DSPIC33 family of DSCs provide the following features and capabilities for robust environments.

• Memory: ECC, CRC, RAM BIST

• System: DMT, WDT/Windowed WDT, POR/BOR, MCLR

• Clocking: Redundant Oscillator, Fail Safe Clock Moni­tor (FSCM)

• CPU: Error Trap Monitors

• GPIO: ESD Protection, I/O Port Readback

Development Tools

Products from Microchip make it possible for systems to comply with practical safety. This implies that, based on the standard and level of safety they support, they have integrated features, qualified test libraries, safety manuals, and FMEDA reports. All of these components make it simpler to create applications that adhere to functional safety standards, which reduces the amount of work and expense required to ensure compliance with the final result. The MPLAB XC Compiler, which is ISO 26262 certified up to ASIL D, is provided by Microchip.

Third-Party Developers
Microchip works with third party vendors for Functional Safety applications

• Liverpool Data Research Associates (LDRA)

• TÜV SÜD

• Functional Safety Design Partners

News and pictures from Microchip-Julia Ann Baker