How NXP’s i.MX 95 Family Is Driving a New Era of Functional Safety

As connected devices are getting smarter, computing requirements are getting more complex. Devices need to quickly process and send huge volumes of data from AI applications like machine vision. Systems need to be reliable, safe and secure. NXP’s i.MX 95 processor family is specifically designed for this new wave of edge innovation.

To illustrate the many benefits of the i.MX 95 family, I’m kicking off a four-part blog series. This first post explores the functional safety features. Part two will cover AI and ML capabilities, part three will take a closer look at connectivity and security, and part four will highlight the i.MX 95 family’s graphics and display technologies. Read on for more details about how NXP is bringing the latest functional safety capabilities to connected devices.

Why Functional Safety Matters

Functional safety is the implementation of safety features to help mitigate the risks of electronic systems malfunctioning from random and systematic failures. You can think of functional safety like a seatbelt; it’s there just in case something goes wrong. Functional safety features help ensure that a system will respond to failure in a predictable, safe way. This is especially important for applications where people could get hurt, along with use cases where system failure can be costly.

To meet the functional safety needs of automotive and industrial applications, NXP’s flagship i.MX 95 family provides a highly flexible, scalable architecture so our customers can design safe and secure edge platforms with confidence. The series is ideal for embedded applications in vehicles, industrial environments, smart homes, and beyond.

Functional Safety in Vehicles

While vehicles are now safer than ever before, there’s always the risk that something could go wrong. Functional safety features in vehicles allow auto manufacturers to add an extra layer of protection to better safeguard passengers and reduce risks.

Here are just a few of the automotive applications that the i.MX 95 family is targeting:

• Connectivity Domain Controller:This is the system that combines a vehicle’s wireless interfaces and allows drivers to listen to the radio, use GPS navigation, and more. Drivers want to be able to arrive on time and well-informed.
• eCockpitMany vehicles combine infotainment, connectivity, and safety monitoring functions into one interface called the electronic cockpit or eCockpit. Examples of safety monitoring features include lane departure warnings and instrumentation lights.
• Software Defined RadioThis is not just about listening to your favorite songs on digital radio; software defined radio (SDR) platforms also enable manufacturers to deploy vehicle-to-vehicle (V2X) communications technologies, and over-the-air updates for new features and regional standards.
• Occupant Monitoring SystemIf you’re driving a newer car, you may see a coffee cup icon if you’ve been inadvertently departing out of your lane. The Occupant Monitoring System can remind a drive to take a break or pay closer attention. This type of system can also detect if passengers are inadvertently forgotten in the backseat of a car.
• Occupant Monitoring SystemIf you’re driving a newer car, you may see a coffee cup icon if you’ve been inadvertently departing out of your lane. The Occupant Monitoring System can remind a drive to take a break or pay closer attention. This type of system can also detect if passengers are inadvertently forgotten in the backseat of a car.
• Blindspot Monitoring System (BSM) and Multi-camera MonitoringYou want monitoring technologies to work when you’re quickly changing lanes on the freeway or even backing out of your garage. These technologies have progressed dramatically over the last few years to help drivers navigate and park safely.

The i.MX 95 family is designed in compliance with ISO 26262 ASIL B and SIL-2 IEC 61508 through NXP’s SafeAssure? platform. The ISO 26262 standard ensures functional safety in vehicles and is well-suited for a wide range of infotainment, connectivity, and safety automotive applications. The Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) designates safety requirements for different types of vehicle components.

Functional Safety in Industrial Applications

The i.MX 95 family is also designed for the functional safety requirements of industrial applications, from huge machines to handheld devices. The i.MX 95 processors are powerful enough to meet the performance needs of robotic controllers, machines using AI for visual inspection, and other factory automation capabilities. Meanwhile, the processors are power-efficient enough for digital kiosks and signage, industrial PCs, and vision payment systems. NXP technology not only protects the safety of workers, it also helps reduce the risk of expensive equipment failures.

SIL-2 IEC 61508 is a critical functional safety standard, designed for electronic systems in a variety of industries where safety is essential. IEC 61508 is about preventing system failures, while also ensuring that there are safety mechanisms in place if something goes wrong. For example, if the temperature of a machine gets too hot, IEC 61508 ensures that the system is switched to a safe state to help mitigate damage.

A New Era of Powerful, Efficient Computing

The i.MX 95 processor integrates up to six Arm Cortex-A55 cores to keep up with the performance needs of automotive and industrial applications. The design includes an independent safety domain with an Arm Cortex-M33 processor, along with a real-time time domain integrating an Arm Cortex-M7 processor. This highly integrated design enables high-performance processing in real-time so automotive and industrial applications can make decisions instantly.

The i.MX 95 family also minimizes system-level energy consumption with our Energy Flex architecture. The processors have fine-grained independent power management of the applications domain and the safety domain. It’s essential to have the safety domain running reliably and predictably, and this approach allows developers to keep the safety domain running without interruptions while only using the applications domain when necessary. The result keeps power consumption down.

Raising the Bar on Functional Safety

When it comes to functional safety, NXP stands for high quality and reliability. NXP’s SafeAssure program allows i.MX 95 customers to design with confidence knowing that their products meet stringent security standards. This helps to simplify the compliance process so companies can get their products to market faster.

Stay tuned for part two of this series where I’ll go into detail about how the i.MX 95 accelerates AI innovation at the edge.

Visit the i.MX 95 family product page and contact your NXP or distributor sales team to join our early access program.

Author | Toby Foster

Toby Foster is a Senior Product Marketing Manager in NXP’s Business Line Secure Connected Edge, focusing on networking applications and management of the Layerscape family of processors. He has also held roles as system architect and applications engineering manager for network processors. Mr. Foster holds an M.S. and B.S. in electrical engineering from Harvey Mudd College.