Hercules (microcontroller)

ARM architectures

The ARM logo
Designer	ARM Holdings

32-bit architectures (Cortex)

Version	ARMv8-R, ARMv7-A, ARMv7-R, ARMv7E-M, ARMv7-M, ARMv6-M
Encoding	32-bit except Thumb2 extensions use mixed 16- and 32-bit instructions.
Endianness	Bi (Little as default)
Extensions	Thumb-2 (mandatory since ARMv7), NEON, Jazelle, FPv4-SP
Registers
General-purpose	16 x 32-bit integer registers including PC and SP
Floating point	Up to 32 × 64-bit registers, SIMD/floating-point (optional)

Hercules is a line of ARM architecture-based microcontrollers from Texas Instruments built around one or more ARM Cortex cores. This "Hercules safety microcontroller platform" includes a series of microcontrollers specifically targeted for Functional Safety applications, through such hardware-base fault correction/detection features as dual cores that can run in lock-step, full path ECC, automated self testing of memory and logic, peripheral redundancy, and monitor/checker cores.

This line includes the TMS470M, TMS570 and RM4 families. These families were "designed specifically for IEC 61508 and ISO 26262 safety critical applications". However, they differ significantly in the degree of support for these safety standards:

TMS470

• Value Line Transportation and Safety MCUs
• Supports Safety for
  • IEC 61508 systems

RM4

• High Performance Industrial and Medical Safety MCUs
• Developed to Safety Standards
  • IEC 61508 SIL-3

TMS570

• High Performance Transportation and Safety MCUs
• Developed to Safety Standards
  • IEC 61508 SIL-3
  • ISO 26262 ASIL D

In particular, TMS570 support for ASIL D is accomplished through dual lock-step cores.

See also

• IEC 61508 (Functional Safety Standard)
• ISO 26262 (Automotive Functional Safety Standard)
• Qorivva, a comparable 32-bit PowerPC safety microprocessor line from Freescale

External links

• Hercules Safety ARM MCUs