TI announces that its Hercules MCU has been certified by TüV SüD

RF cable can be customized for other specifications

Texas Instruments (TI) has recently announced that its Hercules® TMS570LS12x/11x and RM46x microcontrollers (MCUs) have received certification from TÜV SüD, meeting the rigorous functional safety requirements of ISO 26262 (2011 version) and IEC 61508 (2010 version), specifically for ASIL D and SIL 3 safety integrity levels. This certification is a significant milestone for OEMs in the automotive and industrial sectors, as it helps streamline the certification process for their systems.

To further support developers, TI has introduced two new LaunchPad development kits: the LAUNCHXL-TMS57012 for the TMS570LS12x/11x series and the LAUNCHXL-RM46 for the RM46x series. These kits offer an affordable and accessible way to explore the advanced functional safety features embedded in these certified MCUs.

The Hercules MCUs are designed with robust diagnostic capabilities, including dual ARM Cortex-R4 CPUs operating in lockstep mode, built-in self-tests for memory and peripherals, and error correction mechanisms like ECC. These features help ensure system reliability and safety, especially in critical applications where failure could lead to serious consequences.

Developers using the LaunchPad kits will benefit from HALCoGen software, which simplifies code generation, and access to TI’s Code Composer Studio IDE. The kits also include on-board emulation and demonstrations, making it easier to test and evaluate the full range of safety features available in the Hercules platform.

In addition to the hardware, TI provides the SafeTI Design Pack, a comprehensive suite of tools, documentation, and support resources to help OEMs implement and certify functional safety in their systems more efficiently. This package is particularly useful for those working on safety-critical applications in automotive and industrial environments.

The TMS570LS12x/11x and RM46x MCUs are now available for production, and the corresponding LaunchPads can be purchased directly from TI’s online store. With these tools and certifications, developers can confidently move forward with their next-generation safety-critical designs.