Microchip Launches AVR SD MCUs with Built-in Safety for Automotive and Industrial Applications

20 March 2025 - 0 Comments

Microchip Technology has launched the AVR SD family of microcontrollers (MCUs) to help engineers design safety-critical applications more easily and at a lower cost. These MCUs come with built-in safety features, making them ideal for industries like automotive, industrial automation, aerospace, and medical devices.This MCU meets the safety standards of ASIL C and SIL 2. These standards ensure that systems can detect and respond to errors before they become serious problems.

AVR SD MCUs come with the safety features such as dual core lockstep CPU, dual Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs), Error Correction Code (ECC) on all memories, and built-in monitoring for voltage and clock stability. These are crucial for the applications such as medical, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), robotics, ignition control.

Microchip makes it easier by providing a dedicated safety software framework that works alongside these MCUs. This means the chips can handle error detection and correction on their own, reducing the burden on developers. The AVR SD MCUs can serve as the main processor for safety tasks like detecting overheating or monitoring sensor data, or as a backup processor to support systems that require even higher safety levels, such as ASIL D and SIL 3 applications.