Challenges and Limitations of Utilizing Multi-core/Heterogeneous Logic Elements in the Railway Signaling Applications

The state-of-the-art logic elements, like CPUs and FPGAs, are either trending towards higher core counts or heterogeneous architecture, driven primarily by the telecommunication and the automotive industry. The railway industry market, although relatively small, adopts logic elements from these leading sectors. However, there are significant challenges in adopting logic elements from other domains for the railway signaling systems which are expected to operate continuously for nearly thirty years ensuring the highest levels of safety. Furthermore, the intricacies involved in demonstrating safety prevent signaling applications from fully harnessing the capabilities of multi-core or heterogeneous architectures. Our paper focuses on the utilization constraints and challenges of using the latest logic elements in signaling applications conforming to EN 50129:2018. We analyze the use of such logic elements and architectural patterns to meet safety requirements cost-efficiently.