The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Altera’s Functional Safety Data Package (AFSDP/FSDP) can reduce duplicated engineering and evidence work in FPGA-based safety projects by providing qualified tools, safety documentation, FMEDA resources, diagnostic IP and certification evidence. Altera says the package typically saves 12–18 man-months when certifying safety-critical applications at system level; that is Altera’s published claim, not an independently verified result. The package supports a customer’s safety case—it does not certify a complete machine, vehicle or other system by itself.
What is Altera’s Functional Safety Data Package?
AFSDP is a set of engineering resources for developing FPGA-based safety systems, rather than a chip or retail accessory. Its purpose is to give project teams reusable methods and evidence so they do not have to create every safety-related tool qualification, analysis aid and document from scratch.
The specific contents depend on the device family and package documentation. Altera’s automotive qualifications page lists the following items for its covered products; a newer Agilex 5 brief describes a similar package pattern, not necessarily identical coverage.
| Package element | What it contributes | Coverage described by Altera |
|---|---|---|
| Qualified development tools | Provides a defined software and design-flow basis for safety-related work. | Automotive qualifications page: Quartus Prime 14.1 and Quartus Prime Standard Edition 17.0.2. The Agilex 5 brief refers to Quartus Prime software without establishing coverage for every release. |
| FMEDA tool | Supports failure-mode, effects and diagnostic-coverage analysis used in a safety case. | Listed on both the automotive qualifications page and the Agilex 5 brief. |
| Diagnostic and standard IP | Provides specified IP resources for implementing or supporting safety mechanisms. | The automotive page lists diagnostic and standard IP; the Agilex 5 brief specifically describes diagnostic IP cores. |
| Safety manuals | Document conditions, methods and guidance relevant to using the covered devices in safety designs. | Listed for automotive coverage and in the Agilex 5 brief. |
| Reliability information and certification evidence | Supplies supporting data and third-party qualification material for the project’s evidence set. | The package description identifies reliability information and certificates; the Agilex 5 brief specifies TÜV safety certification. |
These descriptions are family- and version-specific. The automotive page names automotive-grade Cyclone V, Cyclone V SoC and MAX 10 devices. The Agilex 5 brief describes the package pattern for Agilex 5, but the available description does not establish a complete part-number list or universal Quartus release coverage. Confirm the exact device, tool version, package revision and target standard against the applicable Altera safety documentation.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute#1 Best Overall
- Designed for students and beginners looking to understand Digital Logic, fundamentals of FPGAs
- Features the Xilinx Artix 7 FPGA compatible with Vivado Design Suite WebPACK Edition (free download available from Xilinx)
- On board user interfaces include 16 user switches, 16 LEDs, 5 user pushbuttons, and a
- Expansion opportunities with four Pmod ports including 3 standard 12-pin Pmod ports and 1 dual
- Does NOT ship with micro USB cable
How can the package reduce certification effort?
Functional safety is concerned with risks that depend on correct operation of electrical, electronic or programmable electronic safety-related systems. The 61508 Association defines it as the part of overall safety relating to the equipment under control and its control system that depends on correct functioning of the safety-related system.
In Altera’s explanation, safety projects require additional process and documentation because a certifying body supervises compliance. Qualified tools, predefined techniques and reusable device evidence can reduce the amount of work a team must develop and justify itself. Altera’s white paper says it qualified its FPGA devices, IP, design flow and development tools with TÜV Rheinland for safety-critical applications.
Rank #2
- Arty A7 comes in two FPGA variants: Arty A7-35T features Xilinx XC7A35TICSG324-1L. Arty A7-100T features the larger Xilinx XC7A100TCSG324-1.
- Internal clock speeds exceeding 450MHz, On-chip analog-to-digital converter (XADC), Programmable over JTAG and Quad-SPI Flash
- 256MB DDR3L with a 16-bit bus @ 667MHz, 16MB Quad-SPI Flash, USB-JTAG Programming circuitry, Powered from USB or any 7V-15V source
- 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, USB-UART Bridge
- 4 Switches, 4 Buttons, 1 Reset Button, 4 LEDs, 4 RGB LEDs, 4 Pmod connectors, shield connector
Altera’s automotive qualifications page says AFSDP “typically saves you 12-18 man-months in certifying your safety critical applications at system level.” This is a vendor estimate; the cited statement does not define a universal baseline, project scope or guaranteed saving. Actual effort depends on the design, target standard, architecture, evidence already available and customer validation obligations.
What an FMEDA tool does
FMEDA stands for failure modes, effects and diagnostic analysis. It helps a team systematically assess how component failure modes may affect a safety function and how diagnostic mechanisms detect relevant failures. The resulting analysis can support reliability calculations and the safety case. It is an input to engineering and assessment, not an automatic finding that a design meets a required safety integrity level.
Rank #3
- [FPGA Chip] GW2AR-18 QN88 FPGA Chip containing 20736 LUT4 logic cells and 15552 Filp-Flops.There are 2 PLL in this FPGA chip, and many DSP units supporting 18 bit x 18 bit multiplication
- [Onboard Debugger ] Sipeed Tang Nano 20K Development Board support JTAG for FPGA, USB to UART for FPGA,USB to SPI for FPGA communication, Control MS5351 generate frequency
- [USB2.0 HS interface] The 27MHz crystal generates the clock for HDMI display, onboard MS5351 clock generating chip also provides mutiple clocks.Support Serial communication, high-speed SPI reception.
- [Application scenarios] Tang Nano 20K Open source Development Board supports game console emulators, drives RGB screens, multiple display outputs, 20K LUT4, RISC-V soft-core experiments.
- [Wiki] "dl.sipeed.com/shareURL/TANG/Nano_20K/1_Datasheet";Any after-Sales Privems, Please Contact us by click "Waypondev" store and ask a question or leave the message in our forum by "forum.youyeetoo .com/".
Can safety separation avoid recertifying an unchanged FPGA region?
Altera’s application note AN 704 describes a safety-separation design flow for designs that place safety-critical and non-safety-critical logic in one FPGA. The flow partitions the regions and preserves placement-and-routing evidence for the safety portion. Altera says this can reduce certification effort over the system’s lifetime and states that a full design certification is not needed when safety-critical regions are not changed.
That benefit is conditional on following the prescribed flow and maintaining the evidence for the unchanged safety partition. If the design changes, the affected portions must be validated; Altera’s note also says functional testing of safety regions may still be required. A change to the non-safety region therefore is not, by itself, proof that no safety review is needed: the project must establish that separation assumptions and preserved evidence still hold.
Rank #4
- The best way to get started with FPGAs: Using a simple board with projects that build on eachother, now anyone can get started with FPGA development!
- Fun peripherals available: With 4 LEDs, 4 push-buttons, 7-segment display, USB connector, a VGA connector, and a PMOD (for expansion) you can have dozens of fun projects available to you out of the box!
- Works with Verilog and VHDL: No matter which programming language you want to get started with, the Go Board will work for you!
- No extra device required: Simply plug the Go Board into a USB port and go! Getting started with FPGAs has never been easier.
- Works with all operating systems: Windows, Mac, Linux
Which standards and assurance levels are relevant?
IEC 61508 is the foundational functional-safety standard in Altera’s explanation. Related sector standards include ISO 26262 for automotive, IEC 62279 for railway, IEC 61511 for process industries, IEC 61513 for nuclear plants and IEC 62061 for machinery. The applicable standard depends on the industry and system; a package reference to a standard does not imply that every implementation satisfies it.
The Agilex 5 brief gives example industrial safety concepts, with outcomes tied to architecture:
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Best Value
- Digilent Basys 3 Artix-7 FPGA Trainer Board: Recommended for Introductory Users
| Architecture example in Altera’s Agilex 5 brief | Example concept |
|---|---|
| Dual-FPGA architecture | IEC 61508 SIL 3 and ISO 13849 Category 3 PL e |
| Single-FPGA architecture | IEC 61508 SIL 2 and ISO 13849 Category 3 PL d |
These are architecture examples in a technical safety brief, not a promise that any customer design using Agilex 5 achieves those levels. The system’s architecture, safety requirements, implementation, verification and assessment determine the result.
Is AFSDP enough to certify a complete product?
No. The package supplies reusable, device- and flow-related evidence, but the manufacturer or integrator remains responsible for demonstrating that the complete system meets its safety requirements. That includes applying the correct sector standard, performing system-level hazard and safety analyses, validating the actual design and documenting the evidence required by the relevant assessor.
Before relying on AFSDP, establish the exact device and Quartus version in scope, which package revision and manuals apply, what assumptions the safety-separation flow requires, and which analyses or tests remain the customer’s responsibility. A certificate or qualified component does not transfer system-level safety responsibility to the FPGA vendor.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →
