The Safety and Security Unit (SSU) is an integrated module in C29x devices that enables run-time functional safety and cybersecurity protections for application code. The features of the SSU enable robust Freedom from Interference (FFI), secure task isolation, debug security and firmware update protections in hardware, maintaining low-latency performance needed for real-time control systems. The SysConfig tool, provided as part of the MCU SDK, provides an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) for configuring the SSU and enabling safety and security protections in user applications. This application note examines the various features of the SSU, and how embedded system developers can use the SysConfig to design and implement run-time safety and security in real-time applications.
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The Texas Instruments C29 CPU delivers industry-leading performance for real-time control applications. With a 128-bit Very Large Instruction Word (VLIW) architecture, 64-bit fixed-point and floating-point operations, ultra-low latency processing and hardware interrupt prioritization, the C29 is well-equipped to run the most demanding automotive and industrial control applications. The SSU, in concert with the C29 CPU, helps system designers meet the most rigorous modern standards for safety and security in the real-time control applications, without compromising real-time performance. With the SSU, users can achieve true FFI, secure task isolation and advanced debug and firmware update security, while maintaining the same high-speed and low-latency processing needed for the most demanding real-time control systems.
This application note describes how to implement run-time application safety and security in a real-time control system using the C29x CPU and SSU. The C29x, SSU architecture provides dynamic context-sensitive memory protection, secure task isolation with multiple dedicated CPU stack pointers, and multiuser debug ZONEs for security.