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Configurable host controller brings robust two-wire PSI5 sensor
connectivity to custom automotive SoCs and FPGAs
Woodcliff Lake, NJ — June 30, 2026 — Semiconductor intellectual property provider
CAST today announced the PSI5-HOST Peripheral Sensor Interface 5 Host Controller
IP core, a configurable digital controller that lets ASIC and FPGA developers integrate the
ECU side of PSI5 automotive sensor communication directly into their own devices.
PSI5 is a specialized
automotive sensor
interface proven in
safety-related
systems such as
airbag and crash
sensor networks.
It is also applicable
to selected braking,
chassis, suspension,
steering, and
automotive test and
validation equipment
designs. It carries
power and data over
a two-wire link, helping
automotive developers |
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connect distributed sensors with deterministic timing, high robustness, and low
implementation cost. |
The new CAST PSI5-HOST core supports PSI5 Specification v2.3 and is backward compatible
with PSI5 v1.3. It supports both synchronous and asynchronous communication,
sensor-to-ECU Manchester-coded upstream messaging, and ECU to-sensor downstream
communication using tooth-gap or pulse-width encoding.
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“Automotive SoC developers often need to integrate reliable, timing-aware
sensor interfaces without depending on a specific MCU family or external
controller device,” said Peter Dumin, product manager at CAST. “PSI5-HOST
gives them a configurable, silicon-proven PSI5 controller that fits cleanly into
custom ECU, sensor-interface, and safety-related automotive designs.” |
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Configurable PSI5 Connectivity for Automotive SoCs
PSI5-HOST can be configured for up to eight independent PSI5 channels, with up to six
timing slots per channel. The core supports 125 kbps and 189 kbps upstream operation,
with independent channel configuration, Manchester decoding and error detection, and
downstream communication for sensor control.
Receive buffering is also configurable. Designers can use off-core SRAM or internal
flop-based memory, with up to 32 receive frames per channel and operation as either FIFO
or random-access buffers. This helps SoC teams balance area, memory structure, and
software access requirements across different automotive architectures.
Safety-Oriented Architecture and Integration Support
The PSI5-HOST architecture includes safety-oriented features useful in ISO 26262 related
development, including parity-protected control/status registers and data buffer, CRC and
parity handling, programmable glitch filtering, watchdog timing-slot monitoring, and 24-bit
timestamp generation with an internal or external time base.
The host processor accesses the core through a configurable AMBA®
APB2/APB3/APB4/APB5 CSR interface. Low-power operation with clock gating, configurable
trigger I/Os, and programmable interrupts help simplify integration into automotive SoCs
and FPGAs.
For projects targeting ASIL-classified systems, CAST offers an optional ISO 26262 ASIL-D
documentation package for PSI5-HOST, including a Safety Manual and FMEDA (Failure
Modes, Effects, and Diagnostic Analysis) to help customers integrate the core into their
SoC-level safety analysis and certification work.
Complements CAST’s Automotive Interface Portfolio
PSI5-HOST joins CAST’s broad automotive interface IP portfolio, which includes CAN, CAN
FD, CAN XL, LIN, SENT, MSC/MSC-Plus, SafeSPI, TSN Ethernet endpoint and switch cores,
and other interface and processing IP for automotive SoC and ECU developers.
Together, these cores help designers implement vehicle-level networking, deterministic
real-time communication, protected sensor and actuator interfaces, and low-level automotive
sensor connectivity using production-quality IP from a single experienced supplier.
Availability
The silicon-proven PSI5-HOST core is available now for ASIC and FPGA implementations.
Deliverables include Verilog RTL source code or a targeted FPGA netlist, simulation and
synthesis scripts, comprehensive user documentation, and IP XACT register descriptions.
Optional deliverables include a UVM testbench and the ISO 26262 ASIL-D documentation
package.
Sample implementation results and additional technical details are available on the
PSI5-HOST IP core product page.
About CAST
Computer Aided Software Technologies, Inc. (CAST) is a silicon IP provider founded in 1993.
The company’s ASIC and FPGA IP product line includes microcontrollers and processors;
compression engines for data, images, and video; interfaces for automotive, aerospace, and
other applications; networking stacks and offloading engines; various common peripheral
devices; and security primitives and comprehensive SoC security modules.
# # #
CAST is a trademark of Computer Aided Software Technologies Inc.
Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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