WITTENSTEIN High Integrity Systems extends its safety-critical RTOS support to include downloadable demos for TI's Hercules™ Safety Microcontroller Hardware Development Kits

BRISTOL, United Kingdom, Nov 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Wittenstein High Integrity Systems (WHIS), a leading safety systems company, extends SAFERTOS^® support to include downloadable demonstration projects for all Hercules™ safety microcontroller Hardware Development Kits (HDK) from Texas Instruments (TI).

Each demonstration project includes a fully functional, pre-complied, SAFERTOS kernel library, integrated with reference source code and build files. This allows developers to explore the features and functionality of SAFERTOS on their selected Hercules HDK. All demonstration projects are free to download from www.highintegritysystems.com.

On request, the pre-compiled SAFERTOS kernel libraries can be supplied as 30-day source code evaluation packages, allowing developers to complete an in-depth analysis of SAFERTOS.

SAFERTOS is a safety-certified micro-kernel that delivers performance and dependability to safety-critical applications, while utilizing minimal resources. SAFERTOS is supplied with a Design Assurance Pack which contains every design artifact produced during the full IEC 61508-3 life cycle. These include development and safety life cycle plans, requirements, specification and design documents, HAZOPS, source code, all verification and validation documents and related evidence.

"Combining SAFERTOS with the Hercules safety microcontroller results in an embedded platform designed to meet the stringent requirements of IEC 61508 SIL-3," said Andrew Longhurst, Engineering Manager for WHIS. "The downloadable demo program provides an excellent method for developers to evaluate SAFERTOS on a Hercules development kit before they make their selection."

"We're always seeking ways to ease development and safety certification for our customers," said Roy Haley, product marketing manager, Hercules safety microcontrollers, TI.  "We're excited that our customers now have easy access to evaluate and develop with SAFERTOS running on our Hercules hardware development kits.  The combination of SAFERTOS and Hercules integrated safety features can greatly accelerate time to market for safety critical systems."

WHIS also provides commercial-grade USB, FAT and TCP/IP middleware components for all microcontrollers within the Hercules safety microcontroller platform. Utilizing the MPU functionality of SAFERTOS allows middleware components to be isolated from higher Safety Integrity Level (SIL) code segments. Integrated middleware purchases are delivered with a working demonstration project, allowing developers to be up and running quickly.

SAFERTOS has been certified by TUV SUD to IEC 61508-3 SIL-3 and is suitable for use in developments requiring certification to IEC 61508 and domain-specific adaptations, IEC 62304 class C and FDA 510(k) for medical and DO 178B for aerospace applications.

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About WITTENSTEIN High Integrity Systems
Wittenstein is a global technology company headquartered in Harthausen, Germany and has a presence in more than 40 countries with more than 1400 employees worldwide. The Wittenstein High Integrity Systems business unit was launched in the UK in 2008 as part of the Wittenstein Group. Its world-leading expertise in embedded software is based on ten years' experience working with Industrial Control, Power, Medical and Aerospace applications. High Integrity Systems was formed to leverage the success of the FreeRTOS^TM real time operating system. Its first product was OPENRTOS^®, a commercially licensed and supported version of FreeRTOS, made available in 2006. Subsequently in 2007 SAFERTOS was released, having attained IEC 61508 SIL-3 certification from TUV SUD. SAFERTOS has also been verified as compliant to the FDA510(k) and IEC62304 medical standards. 

For more information, please visit www.highintegritysystems.com.

SOURCE Wittenstein High Integrity Systems