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RISC-V Toolchain Support Advances Automotive Safety Software
IAR extends its embedded development platform to support automotive-grade RISC-V processor IP, enabling certified software development for safety-critical vehicle systems.
www.iar.com
SiFive and IAR collaborate to drive RISC-V innovation in Automotive electronics.
IAR has expanded its embedded development toolchain to fully support automotive-grade RISC-V processor IP from SiFive, addressing growing demand for standardized, safety-certified software development in modern vehicle electronics. The update targets automotive applications such as advanced driver-assistance systems, intelligent driving functions, and digital cockpit platforms, where functional safety and tool qualification are mandatory.
RISC-V adoption drives demand for certified development tools
RISC-V architectures are increasingly evaluated by automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers as alternatives to proprietary instruction sets, particularly for domain controllers, safety islands, and mixed-criticality workloads. As RISC-V moves from prototyping into production vehicles, development environments must demonstrate compliance with automotive safety standards and support long-term maintenance. The latest release of IAR’s Embedded Workbench for RISC-V extends existing support to additional automotive IP series, providing a commercial-grade toolchain aligned with these requirements.
Expanded processor coverage for automotive workloads
With version 3.40.2 of the toolchain, support has been broadened beyond earlier 32-bit automotive cores to include newer 32-bit and 64-bit RISC-V designs used in vehicle electronics. The newly supported 32-bit cores deliver higher performance than previous generations, enabling more compute-intensive real-time functions, while the 64-bit variants are positioned for domain controllers and other high-performance automotive subsystems. This range allows development teams to use a common toolchain across heterogeneous architectures within a single vehicle platform.
Safety mechanisms embedded in the development flow
The toolchain integrates a compiler, debugger, and static analysis capabilities optimized for RISC-V, with explicit support for enforcing coding standards such as MISRA C and MISRA C++. Compliance with ISO 26262 and related automotive standards enables its use in projects requiring certified development processes for safety-critical software. These mechanisms help engineering teams identify defects early in the development cycle and provide the traceability required for safety audits.
Integration with modern automotive software workflows
As automotive software projects scale in size and complexity, tool interoperability becomes a key concern. The embedded development environment connects with continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines, automated testing, and cloud-based licensing models. This allows distributed teams to maintain consistent tool versions and verification processes across multiple programs, supporting repeatable builds and regression testing in long-lifecycle automotive projects.
Alignment with certified RISC-V automotive IP
The supported RISC-V processor IP has achieved functional safety and cybersecurity certifications across both 32-bit and 64-bit series, providing a foundation suitable for production vehicles. Earlier 32-bit designs addressed real-time and safety-critical tasks, while newer generations offer measurable performance increases for more demanding applications. The combination of certified IP and a safety-compliant toolchain reduces integration risk for suppliers moving RISC-V designs into series production.
The expanded toolchain support reflects the maturation of the automotive RISC-V ecosystem. By pairing safety-certified processor IP with a qualified embedded development environment, automotive software teams gain a clearer path from architecture selection to compliant implementation, supporting innovation in electrification, advanced driver assistance, and intelligent vehicle systems without compromising functional safety requirements.
www.iar.com
IAR has expanded its embedded development toolchain to fully support automotive-grade RISC-V processor IP from SiFive, addressing growing demand for standardized, safety-certified software development in modern vehicle electronics. The update targets automotive applications such as advanced driver-assistance systems, intelligent driving functions, and digital cockpit platforms, where functional safety and tool qualification are mandatory.
RISC-V adoption drives demand for certified development tools
RISC-V architectures are increasingly evaluated by automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers as alternatives to proprietary instruction sets, particularly for domain controllers, safety islands, and mixed-criticality workloads. As RISC-V moves from prototyping into production vehicles, development environments must demonstrate compliance with automotive safety standards and support long-term maintenance. The latest release of IAR’s Embedded Workbench for RISC-V extends existing support to additional automotive IP series, providing a commercial-grade toolchain aligned with these requirements.
Expanded processor coverage for automotive workloads
With version 3.40.2 of the toolchain, support has been broadened beyond earlier 32-bit automotive cores to include newer 32-bit and 64-bit RISC-V designs used in vehicle electronics. The newly supported 32-bit cores deliver higher performance than previous generations, enabling more compute-intensive real-time functions, while the 64-bit variants are positioned for domain controllers and other high-performance automotive subsystems. This range allows development teams to use a common toolchain across heterogeneous architectures within a single vehicle platform.
Safety mechanisms embedded in the development flow
The toolchain integrates a compiler, debugger, and static analysis capabilities optimized for RISC-V, with explicit support for enforcing coding standards such as MISRA C and MISRA C++. Compliance with ISO 26262 and related automotive standards enables its use in projects requiring certified development processes for safety-critical software. These mechanisms help engineering teams identify defects early in the development cycle and provide the traceability required for safety audits.
Integration with modern automotive software workflows
As automotive software projects scale in size and complexity, tool interoperability becomes a key concern. The embedded development environment connects with continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines, automated testing, and cloud-based licensing models. This allows distributed teams to maintain consistent tool versions and verification processes across multiple programs, supporting repeatable builds and regression testing in long-lifecycle automotive projects.
Alignment with certified RISC-V automotive IP
The supported RISC-V processor IP has achieved functional safety and cybersecurity certifications across both 32-bit and 64-bit series, providing a foundation suitable for production vehicles. Earlier 32-bit designs addressed real-time and safety-critical tasks, while newer generations offer measurable performance increases for more demanding applications. The combination of certified IP and a safety-compliant toolchain reduces integration risk for suppliers moving RISC-V designs into series production.
The expanded toolchain support reflects the maturation of the automotive RISC-V ecosystem. By pairing safety-certified processor IP with a qualified embedded development environment, automotive software teams gain a clearer path from architecture selection to compliant implementation, supporting innovation in electrification, advanced driver assistance, and intelligent vehicle systems without compromising functional safety requirements.
www.iar.com
