Inquiry about Cortex-A53 SoC supporting lockstep mode

[Toan]

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:

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

Thank you for your support.

[Joey_z]

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

[Toan]

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:

1. 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.

2. 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

[Joey_z · Accepted solution]

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

[Toan]

Sorry, can i ask one more question:

I would like to ask for your advice regarding the Cortex-A53 cores on the NXP S32G2/S32G3 platform.

I understand that NXP officially provides a Linux BSP for the Cortex-A53 cores. However, we would like to investigate whether it is possible to run an operating system other than Linux, particularly Windows on Arm.

Based on my initial research, Windows on Arm supports the AArch64 (ARM64) architecture, while the Cortex-A53 is based on the ARMv8-A 64-bit architecture. Therefore, from the CPU architecture perspective, they appear to be compatible. However, I understand that CPU architecture compatibility alone may not be sufficient to run Windows on a specific hardware platform.

Could you please advise us on the following points?

1. Apart from the Linux BSP, is it possible to run Windows on Arm on the Cortex-A53 cores of the S32G2/S32G3?

2. If it is possible, what approaches are available?
   For example, is there an existing BSP or porting solution available, or would it be necessary to port and develop components such as the bootloader/UEFI, ACPI configuration, and device drivers?

3. If Windows on Arm can run on the S32G2/S32G3 platform, what level of hardware and driver compatibility can be expected?
   In particular, we would like to understand whether the existing peripherals and drivers can be supported under Windows.

4. If Windows on Arm is running on the Cortex-A53 cores, is it still possible to use the Cortex-A53 lockstep functionality?
   If so, how is lockstep configured, and are there any differences or limitations compared with the Linux BSP environment?

The goal of our project is not only to run Windows on Arm on the S32G platform, but also to verify whether the Cortex-A53 lockstep functionality can be used in the Windows environment.

We would greatly appreciate your advice and recommendations on this topic.