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Inquiry about Cortex-A53 SoC supporting lockstep mode

Dear NXP technical supporter,

We are currently looking for a SoC with the following requirements:

Arm Cortex-A53 processor
Support for lockstep operation between Cortex-A53 cores / cluster
Intended for non-automotive applications, such as industrial applications
An evaluation/development board that is currently available for purchase
A Reference Manual or other official documentation that explains how to enable/configure the lockstep mode

We initially considered the S32G2, but since the S32G family is primarily positioned for automotive/vehicle applications, we would like to know whether NXP has any other SoCs that meet the above requirements.

For example, we are also looking at the i.MX 8M Mini / i.MX 8M Plus, which use Cortex-A53. However, we have not been able to confirm whether they support Cortex-A53 lockstep operation from the available documentation.

Could you please recommend any suitable NXP SoC(s) and evaluation board(s) that meet these requirements?

In particular, we would appreciate it if you could provide:

The SoC part number
The evaluation board currently available for purchase
The section/page in the Reference Manual describing the Cortex-A53 lockstep function
Any documentation or example showing how to enable/configure lockstep mode

Thank you for your support.

Re: Inquiry about Cortex-A53 SoC supporting lockstep mode

Hi,Toan

Thank you for your reply and information.

For the Lockstep feature on the Cortex-A53 hardware that you require, currently only the S32G product have achieved this capability.

Regarding the Lockstep function of Cortex-M/R, you can focus on products such as S32K/S32Z/E, but these are also mainly for automotive applications.

BR

Joey

Re: Inquiry about Cortex-A53 SoC supporting lockstep mode

Hi Joey,

Thank you for the clarification!

Regarding your questions, we are currently in the initial phase of gathering and surveying technical information based on our requirements, so the detailed project context is not fully defined yet. However, I can share a few key insights on our direction:

Application Scenario: We are exploring solutions for general industrial/embedded systems rather than purely automotive applications. While S32G is a powerful platform, its strong automotive focus makes us look for a more general-purpose processor/MCU that fits a broader scope of non-automotive products.
Lockstep Requirement: Yes, our interest in the lockstep feature stems from the need for high reliability, fault detection, and safety/checking mechanisms in our system design to ensure overall stability.

Since we are actively looking for alternatives, could you recommend any other general-purpose platforms (MCUs/SoCs) that support hardware Lockstep but are better suited for general industrial applications rather than automotive?

Thanks again for your support!

Best regards,

Toan

Re: Inquiry about Cortex-A53 SoC supporting lockstep mode

Hi,Toan

Thank you for your support!

Yes, the S32G supports lockstep function, which is mainly used in the automotive. Some customers have also applied it in aerospace and other fields.

Could you share more information with me?

1.What is the application scenario of your project?

2.Why is lockstep necessary? Is it to meet safety standards?

BR

Joey