Design & Reuse

DCD-SEMI Brings Full ASIL-D Functional Safety to Entire Automotive IP Cores Portfolio

Oct. 07, 2025 – 

Bytom, Poland – DCD-SEMI, a leading provider of synthesizable IP Cores for ASIC and FPGA designs, today announced that its complete automotive IP Cores family — including Classical CANCAN FDCAN XL but also LIN, PSI5 and SENT —is now available as Safety Element out of Context for ISO 26262 functional safety up to ASIL-D, the highest Automotive Safety Integrity Level.

This achievement means that all DCD-SEMI automotive IP Cores can be delivered with safety mechanisms tailored to customer requirements — from QM (Quality Management) versions without additional safety logic, through ASIL-B, up to ASIL-D. This flexibility allows automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to choose the optimal implementation for each specific function, reducing overdesign, silicon area, and cost while ensuring compliance with global safety standards.

“By reaching full ASIL-D readiness across our automotive IP portfolio, we give system architects and safety engineers complete freedom to define their safety targets,” said Jacek Hanke, CEO of DCD-SEMI. “Whether it’s a non-safety QM implementation for body electronics or an ASIL-D CAN XL controller for autonomous driving, our cores are ready — verified, checked by third party assessor, and optimized for both ASIC and FPGA flows.”

ASIL-D Safety for Mission-Critical Automotive Designs

ISO 26262 defines ASIL-D as the highest safety level required for life-critical automotive systems, such as ADASpowertrain controlbraking systems, and autonomous driving functions.

DCD-SEMI’s IP Cores implement end-to-end safety mechanisms that ensure compliance, including:

  • Hardware redundancy support
  • Safety monitors and diagnostics
  • ECC-protected memories and buses
  • CRC protection
  • Integrated safety management interfaces
  • Sophisticated failure detection mechanisms

The ASIL package is delivered with a complete Safety documentation including Safety ManualFMEDA analysis, and supporting documentation required for customer safety cases and third-party certification processes.

Tailored Safety Levels – From QM to ASIL-D

The same IP Core can be configured at delivery to match the exact safety integrity needs of a given ECU:

  • QM (Quality Management) – minimal footprint, no additional safety logic
  • ASIL-B – standard safety measures for non-critical systems like infotainment or HVAC
  • ASIL-D – highest safety integrity for braking, steering, or ADAS functions

This modular approach gives design teams fine-grained control over area, performance, and safety overhead, avoiding unnecessary complexity while accelerating time-to-market.

CAN XL – Ready for Next-Generation Vehicles

The portfolio includes support for CAN XL, the latest evolution of the CAN protocol, offering payloads up to 2048 bytes and data rates up to 20 Mbit/s, making it ideal for software-defined vehicles and zonal architectures.

Combined with ASIL-D readiness, this positions DCD-SEMI as one of the very few IP providers ready to support next-generation autonomous and connected vehicle designs. DCD-SEMI will be presenting its automotive IP Cores during China Road Show 2025 organized by CAN in Automation in Beijing, Shenzen and Shanghai (November 18-21, 2025).

Key Technical Highlights

  • Full ISO 26262 ASIL-D readiness across Classical CAN, CAN FD, and CAN XL
  • Configurable safety level: QM, ASIL-B, or ASIL-D per customer specification
  • Delivered with Functional Safety Documentation and safety certification support
  • Optimized for ASIC and FPGA implementation flows
  • Built-in safety features: ECC, diagnostics, and fault handling
  • Designed for ADAS, EVs, autonomous driving, and vehicle connectivity
  • Scalable for zonal and software-defined vehicle architectures

About DCD-SEMI

For over 25 years, DCD-SEMI has been delivering synthesizable IP Cores that help semiconductor companies and OEMs accelerate product development. With over 1000 successful silicon implementations, DCD-SEMI solutions power applications in automotive, industrial, and IoT markets worldwide. The company specializes in high-reliability IP Cores, offering advanced support for functional safetysecurity, and performance optimization.

For more information, visit: www.dcd-semi.com