CAST Introduces Microsecond Channel Controller IP Core for Automotive Power and Sensor Interfaces

New core brings Microsecond Channel (MSC) and MSC-Plus connectivity to custom SoCs and FPGAs.

Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey — December 10, 2025 — Semiconductor intellectual property provider CAST today announced the MSC-CTRL Microsecond Channel Controller IP core, a configurable master controller that gives ASIC and FPGA designers a deterministic, microsecond-accurate serial link to smart automotive power and sensor devices.

The new core implements multiple Microsecond Channel protocols in a single controller. This lets designers build into their own SoCs the same type of interface long used between automotive microcontrollers and external actuator or sensor ICs. One of the few licensable MSC controller IP cores available, MSC-CTRL gives system developers a new option beyond relying solely on specific MCU families.

“Customers are pushing more control and diagnostics into their own SoCs, but still need the precise timing and rich feedback they get from MSC-based power and sensor devices,” said Peter Dumin, senior product manager at CAST. “This core gives them a compact, deterministic controller IP core they can reliably use in custom automotive subsystems.”

Multi-Protocol MSC Support Ready for Modern ECU Architectures

The MSC-CTRL controller IP core supports widely used Microsecond Channel variants in one configurable block:

• Microsecond Channel (MSC),
• Microsecond Channel Plus (MSC-Plus), and
• Compatibility with the original Microsecond Bus (µSB) serial concept introduced in early engine-control literature.

The core targets MSC/MSC-Plus channels as the lowest programmable level; the µSB reference reflects the underlying serial concept and heritage rather than a separate minimalist operating mode.

On the system side, MSC-CTRL appears as a 32-bit AMBA® APB peripheral, with DMA-friendly trigger signals, interrupts, and configuration registers that make control platform integration straightforward. Because the core implements the protocols used in many AUTOSAR-based engine control units, it can sit cleanly beneath the AUTOSAR Microcontroller Abstraction Layer (MCAL) or complex drivers through its APB4 register interface.

Deterministic Timing Essential for Real-World Actuators

Microsecond Channel technology is used as a short-reach, chip-to-chip link between a controller and smart power or sensor ICs, such as injector and ignition drivers, intelligent switches, or sensor front ends.

Unlike generic SPI or network buses, MSC-CTRL is designed so that:

• Actuation is microsecond-accurate and repeatable relative to the controller’s timers,
• Latency and jitter are bounded and predictable, simplifying control-loop design and calibration, and
• A separate upstream channel carries detailed status and diagnostic information back from the external device.

At the same time, a single shared upstream channel can carry diagnostics and status for multiple slaves, instead of requiring a separate return line for every channel as a traditional PWM-only approach would.

This determinism lets engineers confidently say “this injector, coil, or valve channel will switch at this time, every cycle,” even though the devices are connected via a shared serial bus rather than individual point-to-point control and feedback lines.

Functional Safety Features and Benefits

MSC-CTRL includes a range of hardware features helpful for ISO 26262–aware designs, such as:

• Communication-integrity checks (e.g., parity) on critical paths,
• Configurable glitch/spike filtering and timeout detection,
• Diagnostic flags and interrupts for error reporting, and
• A hardware emergency-stop path that can safely halt controlled outputs without CPU intervention.

For projects targeting ASIL-classified automotive systems, CAST makes available an ISO 26262 ASIL-B safety package for MSC-CTRL. This includes a Safety Manual, FMEDA, and FMEA, helping customers:

• Integrate MSC-CTRL into their SoC-level FMEDA more quickly,
• Reduce the effort of treating the controller as a “black box” in their safety case, and
• More easily demonstrate that timing-critical actuator communication meets their functional-safety goals.

Complements CAST’s Automotive Interface Portfolio

MSC-CTRL is designed to work alongside CAST’s existing automotive interface IP cores, including TSN, CAN, LIN, and SENT bus controllers used by hundreds of customers. Together these cores let engineers build a coherent path from vehicle-level networks down to the last few centimeters of actuator and sensor wiring, all using IP from a single trusted vendor.

Availability

The royalty-free MSC-CTRL Microsecond Channel Controller core is available now for ASIC and FPGA implementations. For pricing, evaluation options, or technical details, contact CAST at info@cast-inc.com or visit www.cast-inc.com.

About CAST

Computer Aided Software Technologies, Inc. (CAST) is a silicon IP provider founded in 1993. The company’s ASIC and FPGA IP product line includes microcontrollers and processors; compression engines for data, images, and video; interfaces for automotive, aerospace, and other applications; various common peripheral devices; and security primitives and comprehensive SoC security modules. Learn more by visiting www.cast-inc.com.