MicroSys Electronics has expanded their System-on-Module (SoM) family to enable controlling smart car networks with the Miriac MPX-S32G399A. NXP(r) Semiconductors’ S32G399A processor enables a significant speed improvement over its predecessor, offering 33% more data processing speed in real-time for safety applications with mixed criticality and 2.5 times the processing capabilities. Significant enhancements include an octal 8 Cortex-A53 core instead of 3 and four dual core Cortex-M7 Lockstep pairs instead of 3. OEMs who entrust their most critical applications to NXP Gold Partner MicroSys can leverage not only increased processing power for their most demanding tasks, but also system-onModules’ immediate access to prototyping and expanded connectivity tailored for their usage scenarios. Furthermore, they receive comprehensive documentation on safety requirements as well as software support – all necessary for certification. The new System-on-Module offers multiple native CAN interfaces, as well as comprehensive FlexRay(tm), LIN and Ethernet support for TSN. Its target markets include real-time connected vehicles, mobile machinery and automobile test and measurement equipment; additionally it has data loggers edge gateways and failsafe PLCs that can be programmed to operate (PLCs).
FlexRay is an ultrafast, fault-tolerant automotive network protocol designed for use in advanced drive-by-wire systems, active suspension systems and other safety-critical applications in automobiles. Developed by a group of automotive manufacturers and suppliers to offer electronic communication that’s both fast and dependable. FlexRay supports data speeds up to 10Mbps while offering fault tolerance built-in through dual channel architecture as well as time division multiple access (TDMA) timing. Furthermore, FlexRay supports both synchronous and asynchronous data transmission as well as having an automatic clock synchronization mechanism which guarantees precise timing accuracy.
The NXP S32G car network processor is designed for ASIL D safety applications in Tier-1 and OEM automotive. MicroSys Electronics now provides certification services across a variety of markets that require functional safety standards similar to IEC 61508: railway engineering (EN 50155), aviation (DO-160), mobility & stationary machinery (ISO 13849), manufacturing robots (ISO 1018) control system (IEC 62061) drive systems (IEC 618800-5-2). All approvals required for aviation-related applications (DO-254/DO-160) will be supported by manufacturer documentation upon request.
ASIL D is the highest Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) according to ISO 26262, an international standard for vehicle safety functions on the road. ASIL D is assigned to tasks that are essential for the safety of both the vehicle and its occupants, requiring the highest possible performance level of safety. These functions are typically interconnected with active security systems such as steering, braking and acceleration control, plus systems that monitor vehicle behavior for collision avoidance or lane departure warnings. Producing ASIL D safety applications involves an exhaustive process that includes hazard analysis, risk assessment and the application of safety measures designed to reduce injury risks to a manageable degree.
MicroSys Electronics’ Miriac MPX S32G399A SoM, featuring eight cores for Arm Cortex A53 with Neon technology organized into two clusters for apps and other services, is now available to purchase. The S32G3 provides real-time performance with four dual-core ArmCortex-M7 pairs, for which MicroSys offers dedicated FreeRTOS implementations in addition to NXP’s standard automotive support. Lockstep mode, also known as clustered, synchronized and grouped mode, is supported by the S32G3’s collection of multi-cores. This can support ASIL D applications or any other functional safety standard equivalent to IEC 61508. Memory capabilities include 4GB soldered LPDDR4 RAM with 3200 MT/s speed along with up to 32GB nonvolatile eMMC memory and 64 millibytes QuadSPI flash storage externally via multichanneling from onboard eMMC memory. The SD cards used for external storage can also be multichanneled using this same onboard eMMC storage device.
Lockstep mode is one of the techniques computers employ to increase reliability and fault tolerance. In this mode, two or more identical processors execute the same program simultaneously, with their outputs compared for any differences. If one or more processors fail, the system automatically takes corrective actions like switching to an alternate processor and restarting the computer.
Lockstep mode is often employed in systems with safety requirements, such as automotive, aviation and medical settings that could fail if left unfixed. Through lockstep mode the systems are able to identify and repair errors faster and more effectively, offering a greater degree of protection over those that do not utilize this technique.
Connectivity is enhanced with the latest SoM, featuring 4x SerDes interfaces which can be configured as PCIe Gen3 2×1 or 3x 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet plus 3x 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet 18x CAN FD bus two FlexRay and four LIN ports plus 14 GPIOs 12 analog inputs (ADC), FlexSPI 2x UART 1x USB and 4x I2C support. Debug and trace tasks are simplified too with SoM’s compatibility with Aurora as well as JTAG interfaces plus its complete support package including bootloader configuration plus all necessary Linux drivers complete the list of features offered.
