The Pulse
SK hynix earns LPDDR5X safety certification and a cybersecurity certification
SK hynix says its LPDDR5X memory and development process have received industrial functional-safety certification. The company also obtained automotive cybersecurity management certification covering product development and mass production.
AI.info Team · Written with AI · fact-checked ·
SK hynix’s LPDDR5X memory and its development process have received industrial functional-safety certification, while the company’s automotive cybersecurity management system has also been certified, the chipmaker announced on November 11. The safety certification is at Safety Integrity Level 3 under IEC 61508; the cybersecurity assessment is based on ISO/SAE 21434.
Both certifications were granted by SGS-TÜV Saar, with SGS Korea and SGS Japan involved in the assessments. They add to the company’s existing automotive functional-safety and information-security credentials.
Safety certification covers development
The industrial standard grades safety integrity from SIL 1 to SIL 4, with higher levels carrying more stringent requirements. The company says SIL 3 is the highest level attainable for a single memory semiconductor.
The certification covers both the memory product and the development process behind it. The company says that process incorporates safety requirements into current and future products, and that the certification extends its functional-safety credentials beyond automotive use to industries including robotics and smart factories.
The standard evaluates reliability according to how safety functions operate, distinguishing between low-demand, high-demand and continuous modes. The memory was designed and validated for continuous operation, which requires safety to be maintained in real time without interrupting the system.
SK hynix identifies real-time robotics control as an application for that operating mode. It also plans to address functional-safety requirements from customers developing robotic platforms and system-on-chip solutions, drawing on the memory’s low-power characteristics for devices sensitive to power consumption and heat.
Cybersecurity assessment
The cybersecurity certification applies to the company’s management system rather than certifying the memory product itself. Its assessment verified procedures used in product development and mass production, including threat response, the definition of security requirements, design and validation, and vulnerability management.
The standard calls for cybersecurity activities throughout a product’s lifecycle, from development and mass production through operation and decommissioning. It uses threat analysis and risk assessment to identify and analyze risks and determine appropriate security measures.
In the company’s account, autonomous vehicles use memory to store and transfer sensor inputs, artificial-intelligence computation results and encryption keys. It says tampering with or exposing that data could compromise the integrity of a vehicle system.
Targeting more applications
SK hynix plans to increase its participation in autonomous-driving platforms and software-defined vehicle projects and expand its global first-tier customer base. It also plans to broaden the use of its memory products in industrial applications, including robotics, edge AI and smart factories.
The company defines a software-defined vehicle as one connected to external communication networks in which software has a central role in operation and control. A first-tier supplier provides components or system modules directly to original equipment manufacturers.
The company says its earlier information-security certification was obtained last year and that its automotive functional-safety certification was obtained in January. It describes the new assessments as part of a wider effort to build safety and security capabilities for automotive and industrial customers.