Microchip Launches AVR SD MCUs For Cost-Effective Safety Compliance

(RTTNews) - Microchip Technology (MCHP) Wednesday has introduced the AVR SD family of microcontrollers or MCUs to help engineers meet strict safety standards while reducing design costs and complexity.

These MCUs integrate built-in safety mechanisms and a dedicated software framework, making them the first entry-level solution at this price point to meet ASIL C and SIL 2 safety requirements. Certified by TÜV Rheinland, the MCUs adhere to a functional safety management system.

Key hardware safety features include a dual-core lockstep CPU, dual ADCs, ECC memory protection, an error controller, and voltage and clock monitors. These features enable fast fault detection, helping applications achieve FDTI targets as low as 1 millisecond. The MCUs autonomously detect and manage errors, ensuring system reliability.

Designed for applications in automotive, aerospace, industrial automation, and medical sectors, the MCUs support safety-critical functions such as thermal monitoring and sensor data analysis. They can serve as main processors or coprocessors for higher safety integrity applications up to ASIL D and SIL 3.

Greg Robinson, Microchip's corporate VP of MCUs, emphasized that the AVR SD family simplifies safety compliance by integrating essential features into an entry-level MCU, reducing development time and certification costs.

Compliant with ISO 26262 and IEC 61508 standards, these MCUs work with TÜV SÜD-certified MPLAB XC8 Pro compiler and Microchip's Curiosity Nano board. Safety packages include compliance documentation, software, and reports.

Pricing starts at $0.93 per unit for orders of 5,000 units, with volume discounts available. For details, visit Microchip's website or authorized distributors.

MCHP is currently trading at $54.71 or 0.94% higher on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.