Hercules (microcontroller)

{{Short description|Line of safety microcontrollers from Texas Instruments}}

{{Infobox CPU architecture

|name = ARM architectures

|image = Arm logo 2017.svg

|image_size = 200px

|caption = The ARM logo

|designer = ARM Holdings

}}

{{Infobox CPU architecture

|name = 32-bit architectures (Cortex)

|introduced =

|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

|gpr = 16 x 32-bit integer registers including PC and SP

|fpr = Up to 32 × 64-bit registers,{{cite web|url=http://infocenter.arm.com/help/topic/com.arm.doc.ihi0042d/IHI0042D_aapcs.pdf|title=Procedure Call Standard for the ARM Architecture|publisher=ARM Holdings|date=30 November 2013|accessdate=27 May 2013}} 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".{{cite web|title=Hercules Safety ARM MCUs|url=http://www.ti.com/mcu/docs/mcuprodoverview.tsp?sectionId=95&tabId=2835&familyId=1931&dcmp=PPC_Google_TI&k_clickid=4d6ea1b9-6fc5-9368-c352-000052bd4746|publisher=Texas Instruments}} However, they differ significantly in the degree of support for these safety standards:{{cite web|title=Hercules ARM® CortexTM-R4 Safety Microcontrollers|url=http://www.arrownac.com/offers/vision/files/ppt/ti-hercules-arm.pdf|publisher=Arrow Electronics|accessdate=15 February 2014}}

;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.