As edge computing system architectures move into various markets, engineers face complex security and safety challenges. To tackle these challenges, developers are implementing security features such as secure boot, encryption and secure firmware. They are also obtaining functional safety certifications, such as ISO 26262 or IEC 61508, to verify systems meet rigorous safety standards. TI software tooling offers protection across security domains, from hardware up to the software layer to protect against a wide range of attacks. The TDA product family SDK categorizes security into three domains: boot-time security, runtime protection and data-at-rest protection.

Boot-time security covers security upon device start-up. Authentication and key management are critical to ensure that the device remains secure. This allows developers to implement a secure boot process with minimal effort, ensuring that only authorized software can run on the device. At runtime, TI processors enable systems with hardware driver support for cryptographic algorithms and trusted execution environments (TEEs). TI’s driver support reduces the complexity and time required for security implementation. As a result, developers can get to market safer and faster. Finally, data-at-rest protection covers the protection of data while the device is not in use. Features such as secure storage are designed to provide a secure and reliable way to store sensitive data, ensuring that the data is protected from unauthorized access, tampering and other security threats.

Figure 3-3 Security domains create a chain of trust from boot through runtime, ensuring system integrity and data confidentiality

Functional safety is another crucial element in embedded software design, as developers must rely on a certified SDK to keep their safety-critical software robust and eligible for sale in many regions. TÜV SÜD is a partner of choice for many developers seeking safety-certified software in embedded systems, as TÜV SÜD is a leading certifier for software tools. TI's TDA4 SDK has achieved recognition by TUV SUD for functional safety. This means that TI verifies certification of the Safety Element out of context, enabling developers to benefit from using software and certificates in building their safety- and mission-critical systems. The software development process adheres to automotive ISO26262 and IEC61508, enabling ASIL D and SIL 3 eligibility for software developers. To keep developers current with dynamic markets, TI refreshes the audits and certificates for the latest features. In this way, developers can rely on safety certifications across SDK versions..

Figure 3-4 TUV SUD certification for processor selection