NSITEXE DR1000C, a RISC-V based parallel processor IP with vector extension (DFP: Data Flow Processor) has been licensed for Renesas' new RH850/U2B Automotive MCUs

November 9, 2021 -- NSITEXE, Inc. (headquartered in Minato Ward, Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Yukihide Niimi; hereinafter “NSITEXE”) announced that the DR1000C, a RISC-V based parallel processor IP with vector extension (DFP: Data Flow Processor), has been licensed to Renesas for adoption in RH850/U2B microcontrollers (MCUs), a powerful new group of automotive MCUs.

The RH850/U2B MCUs are designed to address the growing need to integrate multiple applications into a single chip and realize a unified electronic control unit (ECU) for the evolving electrical-electronic (E/E) architecture. Delivering a combination of high-performance, flexibility, freedom from interference, and security, the cross-domain RH850/U2B MCUs are built for the rigorous workloads required by vehicle motion in terms of hybrid ICE and xEV traction inverter, high-end zone control, connected gateway, and domain control applications.

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RH850/U2B block diagram

The RH850/U2B MCUs are partly equipped with the DR1000C, a RISC-V based parallel processor IP with vector extension (DFP: Data Flow Processor) licensed from NSITEXE, Inc. as an accelerator. The DR1000C is ideal for offloading heavy-load arithmetic processing (Model Predictive Control, real-time modelling, sensor data processing, etc.) required by automotive MCUs which are targeted for safety critical systems. Up to 16 hardware threads can efficiently utilize the vector processor, thereby achieving extremely high-power performance.

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DR1000C block diagram

The DR1000C is the world’s first* RISC-V-based processor that meets the ASIL D safety requirement level of the ISO 26262 functional safety standard for vehicles and has acquired ISO 26262 ASIL D Ready certification from SGS-TÜV. Specifically, it is a parallel processor optimally designed to offload the intensive computing that vehicle control microcomputers (MPUs) will be required to perform, by means of a multithreading mechanism and vector instructions. By incorporating the DR1000C, vehicle control MPUs can cope with advanced control algorithms such as model predictive control and meet ever tighter legal regulations for clean energy.

DFP(DR1000C) in Model Predictive Control

The ASIL D-compliant DR1000C-SDK (Software Development Kit) provides secure and accurate thread control as well as memory protection and temporal protection features. By utilizing these features and the ISO 26262-compliant tool chain, the user can focus on application development, potentially leading to a shorter development time. The thread control software included in the SDK has a variety of features necessary for a safety critical system, such as priority execution of real-time tasks and thread execution monitoring.

The DR1000C-HSK (Hardware Safety Kit) provides Failure Modes Effects and Diagnostics Analysis (FMEDA), a safety manual, safety case reports, and ISO 26262-related documentation. It reduces the amount of time required to analyze the functional safety of an automotive MCU as well as to achieve its certification. The DR1000C is developed based on the ISO 9001 quality management system and satisfies strict automotive quality requirements.

The DR1000C is suitable not only for vehicle control MPUs but also for various embedded systems such as industrial equipment including factory automation and sensor processing including radar. The development and evaluation status has been deeply evaluated by semiconductor manufacturers in Japan and Europe.

Naoki Yoshida, Vice President, Automotive Digital Products Marketing Division, Renesas

The MCU processing workload required to realize advanced vehicle control is increasing. By adopting the NSITEXE DFP(DR1000C) as the accelerator, the RH850/U2B can achieve both offloading compute-heavy operations and safety-critical real time systems. We are confident that Renesas will now be able to deliver platforms to build advanced automotive systems for zone and domain control applications that require high performance, precision, and reliability.

Hideki Sugimoto, CTO, NSITEXE, Inc.

At NSITEXE, development efforts have been focused on three pillars - versatility, efficiency, and functional safety - with massive future trends in mind. The DR1000C implements these as a MIMD-based high-performance embedded vector processor with high functional safety for users who want to control embedded systems high efficiently, reasonably, and safely. The DR1000C offers efficient processing capability and reliability not just for automotive applications for green energy but also for many embedded systems that require high levels of safety in fields such as factory automation and medical care.

Building on this effort for high functional safety as well as on our innovative processor technology, we support smart mobility and MaaS, thus contributing to changing the world in ways that enrich people’s lives.

About NSITEXE

NSITEXE is an IP vendor, established in 2017 as a spin-off from DENSO Corp., specializing in the development of advanced processors. The company develops RISC-V based processor IPs that support functional safety. Highly efficient, high-quality semiconductor IPs support a wide range of applications, contributing to the evolution of the next-generation semiconductor technology.

https://www.nsitexe.com/

* As of June 30, 2021; based on our survey results