Altera Functional Safety Package Combines FPGA Flexibility with "Lockstep" Processor Solution to Reduce Risk and Time-to-Market

SAN JOSE, CA -- Altera Corporation announces the availability of the Altera Functional Safety Lockstep solution for the Nios II embedded processor, a solution that reduces risk in design cycles and helps system designers simplify certification for industrial and automotive safety applications. The joint Altera and YOGITECH lockstep solution is built using Altera FPGAs, SoCs, and certified tool flows, along with intellectual property (IP) cores from YOGITECH, a functional safety leader based in Pisa, Italy. This solution enables customers to easily implement SIL3 safety designs in Altera FPGAs, including the low-cost Cyclone® V FPGA and MAX® 10 FPGA families. The solution is being demonstrated at the SPS IPC Drives conference in Nuremberg, Germany, from November 24 to 26 at the Altera stand (Hall 3, Stand #270). Learn more about the Altera solutions for functional safety, industrial automation, and industrial Ethernet at www.altera.com/safety.

The lockstep solution leverages YOGITECH's industry-leading fRSmartComp technology to provide high diagnostic coverage, self-checking and advanced diagnostic features for safety-related integrated circuits, in full compliance with functional safety standards IEC 61508 and ISO 26262. The fRSmartComp technology, which is used in conjunction with Altera's flexible Nios II embedded processors, provides diagnostic coverage greater than 99 percent without the need for difficult-to-develop ad hoc tests, speeding time-to-market.

"Developing systems based on products that already comply with the stringent safety requirements and standards required for industrial applications makes our customers' design challenges easier," said Roger May, system architect and functional safety lead at Altera. "This lockstep solution enables designers to take advantage of the flexibility of the already-certified Nios II processor to quickly bring their solution to market while meeting strict safety requirements, reducing risk in design cycles."

"Thanks to the detection, self-checking and diagnostic features provided by our proven fRSmartComp technology, system developers can meet safety standards and increase availability," said Silvano Motto, CEO of YOGITECH. "The IP is delivered with the documentation required to comply with functional safety standards, speeding time-to-market for designers and consequently reducing costs. I am very proud to announce our fRSmartComp solution is now available to Altera FPGA users."

About the Nios II Processor

The Altera Nios II processor delivers unprecedented flexibility for system designers' cost-sensitive, real-time, safety-critical (DO-254), ASIC-optimized and applications processing needs. The Nios II processor supports all Altera SoC and FPGA families.

For information on the YOGITECH Smart Comparator for Lockstep Solution using Altera's Nios II processor, visit http://www.yogitech.com/en/content/frsmartcompnios2

For more details, visit:
http://www.yogitech.com
http://www.altera.com