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reenter your passwordNXP provides the semiconductor foundation and reference designs essential for achieving functional safety certification in demanding industrial applications, including factory automation and renewable energy. Our solutions address the complexities of IEC 61508, offering solutions that aim to accelerate your product development and ensure compliance.
NXP microcontrollers and processors are developed following stringent IEC 61508 standards, offering hardware and software that are qualified for industrial functional safety.
Leverage NXP's SafeAssure® program, including comprehensive safety manuals, failure modes, effects and diagnostic analysis (FMEDAs) and compliant item certifications, to reduce your system-level safety analysis effort.
Our solutions feature safety island architectures and integrated hardware safety mechanisms—error correcting code (ECC), built-in self-test (BIST) and memory protection units (MPUs)—for inherent reliability and high diagnostic coverage.
Utilize NXP's functional safety software—S32 safety software framework (SAF), safety peripheral drivers (SPD) and structural core self-test (SCST)—to cut down on software development and validation time for safety-critical applications.
From IEC 61508 SIL-2 certified Battery Energy Storage Reference Designs to solutions for collaborative robotics, Servo drives and smart factory automation, NXP powers industrial applications where safety is critical.
IEC 61508 is the cornerstone of functional safety. It's the bedrock for applications requiring high integrity, dictating requirements for hardware fault tolerance, systematic capability and quantitative failure rate targets for specific safety integrity levels (SILs 1 to 4).
At NXP, we’ve specifically developed our i.MX 95 family of applications processors and MCX E microcontrollers with IEC 61508 compliance in mind. Features such as independent safety domains (for example, dedicated Arm® Cortex®-M cores for safety processing), ECC on memory and robust diagnostics help your design meet stringent SIL requirements.
The process of assigning SILs involves a thorough risk assessment, identifying hazards and evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm. This dictates the required reliability and diagnostic coverage of your safety functions.
NXP simplifies SIL determination by providing comprehensive safety documentation for its components, including safety manuals, FMEDA reports and compliant item certifications. This support from NXP SafeAssure® program reduces your system-level safety analysis efforts and accelerates time to market.
As a designer, you can often face challenges with complex safety architectures, managing systematic failures, dealing with common-cause failures and ensuring robust diagnostic coverage. At NXP, we help you overcome these challenges when developing IEC 61508-ready designs and applications through:
Our processors feature safety island architectures, allowing the safety-critical functions to operate independently and predictably. Such features include dedicated safety microcontroller units (MCUs) or isolated safety domains on larger systems-on-chip (SoCs).
NXP's silicon incorporates hardware safety mechanisms such as ECC, memory protection units (MPUs), built-in self-test (BIST), and watchdog timers, simplifying the implementation of robust diagnostics and achieving high diagnostic coverage.
Our functional safety software, including the safety software framework (SAF), along with SCST libraries are developed following strict safety standards (IEC 61508). Our SCST libraries are IEC 61508 certified while our safety software framework is precertified. Together these software components aim to reduce your software development and validation burden.
By leveraging NXP's certified hardware and precertified software components, you shift the burden of proving component-level compliance. This can reduce the time, cost and complexity of your overall system certification.
Our hardware and software product development processes are certified by reputable bodies like TÜV SÜD for both ISO 26262 (automotive up to ASIL D) and IEC 61508 (industrial up to SIL 3).
Gain access to NXP’s functional safety experts and dedicated support channels, so that you receive guidance throughout the process.
Leverage ready-to-use safety documentation—including safety manuals, FMEDA reports, and compliance certificates—that streamlines your certification submission. This comprehensive resource reduces analysis effort and shortens time to market.
Practical reference designs like the 1500V Battery Energy Storage Reference Design (RD-BESS1500BUN) demonstrate how to achieve IEC 61508 SIL-2 compliance in real-world applications, providing a strong starting point for your designs.
Collaboration with key industry partners who provide precertified tools (for example, IAR Systems or Green Hills Software) and services that seamlessly integrate with NXP solutions. This allows you to build complete and compliant toolchains.
Our flagship applications processors feature a flexible, scalable architecture with independent safety domains (Arm Cortex-M33 for safety, Arm Cortex-M7 for real-time. They are also certified for hardware integrity up to SIL-2 and are ideal for complex industrial automation and AI-driven systems requiring up to SIL-3 IEC 61508.
The NAFE13388 converts analog sensor inputs into precise digital data while offering diagnostics and can be used in a safety system to control mechanical actuators. It is a quality managed product and part of the SafeAssure program, complementing safety-certified processors and MCUs in IEC 61508-compliant systems.
Developed in compliance with IEC 61508 and part of the NXP SafeAssure® program, the PF09 integrates failsafe outputs, voltage monitoring and BIST features. It supports SIL-2 system designs and complements safety-certified processors in high-integrity industrial applications.
Our precertified SAF, ISCST library and integrated memory test (IMT) library is designed to accelerate your software certification for IEC 61508.
Integrated power management and safety features that simplify the design of safety-critical power supplies and monitoring.
Enabling safe human-robot interaction with safe motion control and emergency stop systems.
Ensuring safe navigation, collision avoidance and fail-safe braking.
From light curtains and safety interlocks to complex safety programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and input/outputs (Io).
Building dependable and secure control loops with integrated cybersecurity measures.
Enabling safe human-robot interaction with safe motion control and emergency stop systems.
Implementing safe DC arc-fault detection, rapid shutdown and robust battery management systems (BMS) to prevent thermal runaway and overcharge.
Ensuring safe and reliable connection/disconnection and response to grid anomalies.
Choosing NXP means to partner with a leader in functional safety. Our commitment extends beyond silicon, encompassing certified processes, comprehensive safety software and a robust ecosystem of development tools and expert support. This holistic approach empowers you to design and certify your industrial applications to the highest functional safety standards while confidently delivering innovative and reliable solutions to the market faster.
Explore NXP's comprehensive portfolio of functional safety-enabled microcontrollers, processors and reference designs, and discover how our solutions can simplify compliance, reduce risk and accelerate your time to market.
Functional safety ensures that control systems reliably perform their intended safety functions to prevent harm or damage. It emphasizes both a robust development process to achieve systematic capability and the ability of the E/E/PE (electrical / electronic / programmable electronic) systems to detect faults and achieve a safe state. NXP provides robust semiconductor solutions crucial for building these safety-critical systems.
The primary overarching standard is IEC 61508 (Functional Safety of E/E/PE Safety-Related Systems). Industry-specific derivatives include IEC 61511 for process industries or ISO 13849 and IEC 62061 for machinery.
The Safety Integrity Level, or SIL, is defined by IEC 61508 and quantifies the risk reduction capability of a safety function, typically for E/E/PE systems in continuous processes. Performance Level, or PL, is defined by ISO 13849 and describes the ability of safety-related parts of control systems to perform a safety function under foreseeable conditions, primarily for machinery. Both are measures of reliability and fault tolerance, but they use different methodologies and are applied in slightly different contexts.
We accelerate certification through our SafeAssure program. This includes providing certified hardware and precertified software components with extensive safety documentation (for example, safety manuals, FMEDA reports and compliant item certification). By using NXP’s precertified and certified solutions, you reduce the time and effort required for your system-level safety analysis and validation, simplifying your compliance journey.
Absolutely. NXP’s processors and microcontrollers are ideal for advanced factory automation and collaborative robotics. They support critical safety functions such as safe motion control (safe speed or safe position), collision avoidance, human-robot interaction safety and emergency stop systems, aligning with standards like ISO 13849 and IEC 62061. Our safety island architectures and integrated hardware diagnostics simplify the development of highly reliable and safe automated systems.