SAFERTOS® is a real-time operating system (RTOS) designed specifically for use in safety-critical systems. WITTENSTEIN high integrity systems is a Mi-V Ecosystem Partner of Microchip and have ported SAFERTOS® on MiV_RV32 soft CPU IP based on RISC-V Core and can be implemented on Microchip’s FPGAs.
Real-time operating systems (RTOS) are critical components in embedded systems, particularly those requiring high safety and reliability levels. RTOSs allow for deterministic task scheduling, ensuring critical operations are executed promptly and predictably.
SAFERTOS® is designed to provide high safety and reliability for embedded systems, particularly those used in aerospace, automotive, medical and industrial automation. It includes features such as memory protection, task scheduling and interrupt handling, all of which are critical for ensuring the safety and integrity of the system.
Safety-Critical Real-Time Operating Systems
Functional safety is essential in the automotive industry, as it ensures that vehicles meet the highest safety standards and provide a safe driving experience for their occupants and other road users. It also helps manufacturers avoid costly product recalls, legal disputes and damage to their reputation in a safety-related incident.
The primary standard used for functional safety in the automotive industry is ISO 26262, which defines the requirements for functional safety in electrical and electronic systems. It provides guidelines for developing safety-critical systems, including hazard analysis and risk assessment, safety requirements and validation and verification methods.
Reducing Risk
In many safety-critical applications, the RTOS is the most critical component. The RTOS not only schedules the functionality of the software but also schedules the operation of safety monitors and safety functions. A failure in the RTOS will most likely compromise the safety case of the complete system.
SAFERTOS has been designed specifically for the safety sector, and deterministic priority-based scheduling is the primary safety requirement. Every effort has been made to ensure deterministic behavior is maintained. To ensure this, SAFERTOS has been independently certified many times on numerous platforms to IEC61508-3 SIL3, the highest possible SIL level for a software-only component.
Software Development Standards
SAFERTOS is a functional safety component that provides developers with a responsive, deterministic embedded RTOS coupled with a Design Assurance Pack (DAP) that provides an easy route to achieving certification of SAFERTOS once integrated into a safety product.
SAFERTOS and its DAP are available pre-certified by TÜV SÜD to ISO 26262-2,-6,-8 to Automotive Safety Integrity Level D (ASIL D). The ISO 26262 standard is an adaptation of the Functional Safety standard IEC 61508 for Automotive Electric/ Electronic Systems. ISO 26262 defines functional safety for automotive equipment applicable throughout the lifecycle of all automotive electronic and electrical safety-related systems to meet safety requirements.
ASIL D is the highest degree of automotive safety rating under this standard. ASIL D is achieved by performing a risk analysis of a potential hazard that examines the severity, exposure and controllability of the vehicle operating scenario—determining the levels of risk.
When designing SAFERTOS, WHIS engineers have made assumptions about the required safety goals and ASIL level. These safety goals are described within the SAFERTOS Safety Manual along with the installation and integration instructions. Developers using SAFERTOS need to confirm that the safety goals defined by SAFERTOS meet the requirements of their projects.
In addition to automotive, SAFERTOS supports the safety design standards for the industrial (IEC 61508), aerospace (DO-178C) and medical sectors (IEC 62304/FDA 510(k)).
Design Assurance Pack (DAP)
SAFERTOS is tailored to your specific processor/compiler combination and delivered with full source code and our DAP.
The DAP gives you complete transparency over the full design life cycle and illustrates the exceptionally high quality of our RTOS product. It is a comprehensive set of documentation and tools that are designed to help developers ensure that their RTOS-based systems meet the required safety and security standards.
The DAP ensures:
- No retesting on target hardware is required
- Easy installation and integration into your development environment
- Reduced development costs and improved time to market
- Smooth path to certifying SAFERTOS within an application
The DAP includes the following key elements:
- Safety Manual – This document guides the use of the SAFERTOS and how it can be used to support the development of safety-critical systems.
- Verification and Validation (V&V) Report – This report provides evidence of the testing and verification of the SAFE RTOS, demonstrating that it meets the relevant safety and security standards.
- Source Code – The DAP includes the source code for the SAFERTOS, allowing developers to review and analyze it as part of their development process.
- Traceability Matrix – This document provides a traceability matrix that links the requirements of the safety-critical system to the features and functions of the SAFE RTOS.
Tool Qualification Kit – The DAP also includes a tool qualification kit that provides evidence that the tools used in the development of the SAFERTOS meet the required safety and security standards.
By using the DAP, developers can have greater confidence in the safety and reliability of their systems and can ensure that they meet the necessary regulatory requirements.
WITTENSTEIN high integrity systems and Microchip solution
WITTENSTEIN high integrity systems have been Premier Partners of Microchip for a long time. The MiV_RV32 is the latest in a succession of Microchip processors supported by WHIS. To help support the MiV_RV32, WHIS has also joined the Microchip Mi-V Ecosystem; this allows developers quicker access to information on SAFERTOS® and all the latest innovations from WHIS.
To download a free SAFERTOS application working on the MiV_RV32 with Softconsole for the Renode Emulator, visit our download center.
About WITTENSTEIN high integrity systems
WITTENSTEIN high integrity systems, a leading provider of software and services for safety-critical systems. For more information, please visit our website.