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HighTec EDV-Systeme is collaborating with SiFive to support the development of safety-ready RISC-V software for automotive and industrial systems. The collaboration combines HighTec’s qualified LLVM-based toolchains for Rust and C/C++ with SiFive’s safety-focused RISC-V processor IP.

For eeNews Europe readers, the news is relevant because RISC-V is moving further into safety-critical embedded designs, where tool qualification, long product lifecycles and certification support matter as much as processor performance.

Deeper into safety-critical design

The shift toward software-defined vehicles and more connected industrial platforms is increasing demand for open processor architectures that can still meet strict safety and cybersecurity requirements. RISC-V offers flexibility through its open ISA, but adoption in automotive and industrial systems depends heavily on the surrounding software ecosystem.

HighTec and SiFive aim to reduce that barrier by aligning compiler technology, safety documentation and processor IP. The companies say the combination could help developers simplify integration and shorten the path to production for safety-relevant RISC-V designs.

Toolchains address safety and security requirements

HighTec’s Rust and C/C++ toolchain is qualified for ISO 26262 up to ASIL D and supports ISO 21434 cybersecurity requirements. Built on LLVM, it supports SiFive’s RISC-V IP and allows teams to combine existing C/C++ software with Rust-based development.

The toolchain also includes a Qualification Kit intended to support tool qualification and certification work. That could be useful for automotive and industrial engineering teams trying to introduce RISC-V without adding unnecessary certification complexity.

SiFive’s automotive-focused processor IP provides scalable performance with built-in support for functional safety and security requirements. The cores are designed for safety-critical applications where system integration, lifecycle support and certification planning are central design concerns.

Partners highlight ecosystem adoption

“The RISC-V ecosystem continues to grow rapidly, and we are pleased to have the support of HighTec’s open-source-based compiler technology for our RISC-V cores”, said John Ronco, SVP of Product, SiFive. “Together, through close collaboration we enable developers to optimize performance while addressing functional safety requirements and significantly reducing time to production.”

“HighTec is highly committed to open standards such as RISC-V and open-source technologies like LLVM as we see them as key drivers for safe and secure innovations in modern embedded systems”, said Mario Cupelli, CTO of HighTec EDV-Systeme GmbH. “With our safety- and security-qualified toolchains and strong technology partners like SiFive, we bring these technologies into safety-critical automotive and industrial applications, enabling scalable software platforms and accelerating adoption of RISC-V across the ecosystem.”

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