Select the Right Microcontroller IP for Your High-Integrity SoCs

By Enrique Martinez-Asensio, Ensilica
ElectronicDesign (June 25, 2024)

It seems like there’s an almost unlimited array of microcontrollers—from low-cost 8-bit varieties to high-performance 32/64 multicore systems. While some systems require little thought beyond cost or speed, there are also many high integrity applications requiring reliability, security and/or functional-safety (FuSa) standards to be met, requiring the architect to pay special attention to the MCU selection.

At the extreme end, today’s vehicles contain 100+ MCUs serving different functionalities: infotainment, steering, braking, engine control, ADAS, etc. Some of these systems are built with commercially available MCUs. However, when a high degree of integration and low cost are the top priorities, dedicated systems-on-chips (SoCs) become necessary. These contain not only an MCU but additional analog/digital processing functionalities.

This article runs down seven of the considerations that we use when selecting an MCU IP for a high-integrity ASIC or SoC. We also look at several of the IPs available on the market.

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