HighTec EDV-Systeme, a leading provider of automotive compiler solutions, is collaborating with SiFive, a leading supplier of high-performance RISC-V processor IP, to accelerate safety-ready RISC-V software development for automotive and industrial systems. The partnership brings together HighTec’s safety-qualified LLVM-based toolchains for Rust and C/C++, and SiFive’s safety-focused RISC-V IP. This joint offering enables software developers to adopt RISC-V more efficiently through an integrated approach to safety, security, performance, and scalable software development.
Reduce integration effort
The shift towards software-defined architectures in automotive and industrial systems is fueling demand for open and flexible platforms with strong safety features. RISC-V’s open instruction set architecture (ISA) enables innovation and customization, while supporting the highest safety, security, and performance requirements. The combination of HighTec’s qualified toolchains with SiFive’s safety-focused RISC-V IP enables software developers to simplify their integration and shorten time to production for their safety-relevant RISC-V designs.
High performance meets safety
The HighTec Rust and C/C++ toolchain is qualified according to the highest functional safety standard ISO 26262 up to ASIL D and the cybersecurity standard ISO 21434, enabling the rapid generation of high-performance code for safety-critical automotive and industrial applications. Built on advanced LLVM technology, the toolchain supports SiFive’s advanced RISC-V IP and tuned performance enhancements, enabling hybrid development that combines legacy C/C++ code with modern Rust. HighTec’s comprehensive Qualification Kit helps to accelerate and simplify tool qualification, supporting safety and security certification activities.
SiFive’s automotive-focused RISC-V processor IP delivers scalable performance with built-in support for functional safety and security requirements. Designed for safety-critical automotive and industrial applications, these cores enable efficient system integration while supporting long product lifecycles and certification needs.
“The RISC-V ecosystem continues to grow rapidly, and we are pleased to have the support of HighTec’s open-source-based compiler technology for our RISC-V cores”, said John Ronco, SVP of Product, SiFive. “Together, through close collaboration we enable developers to optimize performance while addressing functional safety requirements and significantly reducing time to production.”
“HighTec is highly committed to open standards such as RISC-V and open-source technologies like LLVM as we see them as key drivers for safe and secure innovations in modern embedded systems”, said Mario Cupelli, CTO of HighTec EDV-Systeme GmbH. “With our safety- and security-qualified toolchains and strong technology partners like SiFive, we bring these technologies into safety-critical automotive and industrial applications, enabling scalable software platforms and accelerating adoption of RISC-V across the ecosystem.”
About SiFive
As the pioneers who introduced RISC-V to the world, SiFive is transforming the future of computing by bringing the power and flexibility of RISC-V to the world. SiFive’s market-leading IP provides the blueprint for high-performance, customizable, and energy-efficient processor cores across the entire computing spectrum, from the intelligent edge to the most advanced AI data centers.
About HighTec EDV-Systeme GmbH
HighTec EDV-Systeme GmbH, Saarbruecken/Germany, is the world’s leading commercial provider of compiler solutions built on cutting edge open-source technologies. For over three decades, HighTec has been pioneering the transformation of open-source software into automotive- and industrial grade solutions. The company offers ISO 26262 ASIL D certified tools for embedded software development, the PXROS-HR real-time operating system, and a comprehensive suite of design-in services.
HighTec’s ASIL D qualified Rust and C/C++ compilers for leading multicore microcontrollers in the automotive and industrial sectors, including Arm®, TriCore™/AURIX™/TRAVEO™, Renesas RH850, RISC-V, Power Architecture (PowerPC), and Embedded AI accelerators, are continuously adapted and optimized for new architectures through close cooperation with silicon partners.
In addition to the multi-architecture compiler, HighTec offers PXROS-HR, a safety-certified multicore RTOS for applications with safety and multicore requirements. PXROS-HR guarantees robustness, safety, high performance, and data security in real-time environments. PXROS-HR is certified according to ISO 26262 ASIL D / IEC 61508 SIL 3 and is complemented for ASIL D development by a Tool Qualification Kit as a basis for the certification of customer applications.
Complementing this portfolio, HighTec offers development, training and consulting services.
Founded in 1982, HighTec is a privately held company and operates offices in Germany (headquarters), Hungary, China, and the United States, providing global reach combined with strong local engineering support.
