Real-Time Microcontroller - Ultra-low latency control loops for real-time computing

Overview

The MIPS® M8500 real-time compute subsystem is a turnkey enabler for physical AI platforms that need precise control. MIPS developed the M8500 real-time compute subsystems product line, offering low-latency, functionally safe, reliable processing for a variety of applications:

Automotive

  • Traction Inverter
  • On-Board Charger (OBC)
  • High-Voltage to Low-Voltage DC/DC
  • Converter (HVLV DCDC)
  • Battery Management Systems (BMS)

Industrial

  • Motor Drives
  • Servo Drives
  • Robotics
  • AC Inverters
  • Brushless DC Motors (BLDC)
  • String Inverters
  • Grid Infrastructure
  • Electric Vehicle Chargers
  • Power Conversion
  • Wall Chargers
  • Solar Energy Storage

Physical AI platforms need precise control of motors and manipulators to increase the flexibility and adaptability of robots to the human world. Innovative new real-time multithreaded architecture is capable of rapid event-driven processing and sub-10μs loops with determinism, safety, and real-time performance features built in.

The MIPS M8500 combines the real-time performance of a proprietary architecture with the ease-of-use of a general-purpose core. This leads to better performance, lower power, and increased area efficiency, while being easy to adopt and use. Engineered on the open foundation of RISC-V, all this can be achieved while using a general-purpose programming model.

Customers can rely on MIPS expertise in low latency control loop problems to help deliver the right solution, whether it’s integrated into their next SoC design, a chip based on MIPS reference silicon, or their own custom tailored solution.

The MIPS M8500 real-time compute subsystem will be open for select customer evaluation via MIPS Atlas™ Explorer mid-2025, with evaluation boards in 4Q25 and reference design availability in 1H26.

Key Features

  • Reliable event driven computing is enabled by the unique MIPS M8500 real-time multithreaded architecture.
  • The M8500 is an easy-to-use general-purpose microcontroller with advanced efficiency and performance for sub -10μs control loop algorithms.
  • The M8500 is a turnkey closed loop control solution with functional safety options and end-to-end software solution.

Benefits

  • Motor Control: Smaller, lighter motors, decreasing cost and weight. Faster motors with more precise control of torque, speed, and position.
  • Digital Power Conversion: Increased efficiency and power density including SiC and GaN wide band gap semiconductors.
  • Battery Management: More precise control of State of Charge and State of Health for more accurate and safe battery state algorithms.

Applications

  • Motor Control
    • Precise, dexterous control for robotic articulation and manipulation
    • Greater efficiency enables smaller, lighter motors
    • More performance with higher RPM motors
  • Digital Power Conversion
    • Increased power conversion efficiency to reduce losses and improve energy utilization
    • Execute advanced control algorithms for exceptional control capabilities
  • Battery Management
    • Implement state-of-charge algorithms for greater efficiency in energy storage
    • More accurate monitoring with state-of-health algorithms to increase reliability and longevity

Technical Specifications

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Semiconductor IP