ARM to provide safety docs for real-time processors

ARM has picked up TÜV Süd certification for a version of its C compiler and issued a documentation pack for the Cortex-R5 processor as the company builds up its support for the ISO 26262 automotive safety standard, as well as the more general IEC 61508 standard.

The R5 is the first processor from ARM to receive a safety document pack that chipmakers can use to support their own compliance programs for designs that use it. ARM expects to add more processors to the list.

The compiler certification supports its use up to the D safety integrity level (SIL) in ISO 26262 and SIL 3 of IEC 61508 without the user having to go through a further qualification activity for that part of the toolchain.

The current TÜV Süd compiler certification covers version 5.04u2, which forms a part of both the Keil and DS-5 toolchains. ARM intends to obtain similar certification for the version 6 compiler, which is based on Clang and LLVM by the end of next year. ARM said the certification complements the existing tool qualification kit contains a safety manual, development process document, test report, and defect report.