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MSP432P4111T: Redundant controller on same control lines

Part Number: MSP432P4111T

Our proposed architecture in our board is as given in the figure below. We are having 2 system controllers - one is primary and one is redundant. The primary controller is MSP432P4111T. What we are planning to do is as given below.

Incase Primary controller goes bad:
1. Keep primary controller in power-up state.
2. Hold the Reset pin of the primary controller such that it remains in reset always.
3. Then by default the I/O lines of primary controller will be in high impedance state. This will allow redundant controller to toggle the control lines.
Request you to give your inputs whether the above scheme is feasible for implementing redundancy. If there is a better way to do it kindly let us know. We want to avoid any other active devices (such as buffers) as that will again create a failure point.
  • This is not something I would recommend doing. If, in failing (for example, from an electrical overstress event, ESD,etc) one of the pins becomes shorted to VCC or GND, then the whole system would fail to operate even if the backup MCU is fully functional. How best to connect the 2 MCUs depends on what kinds of outputs you have. The inputs, by contrast, would be fairly straightforward to connect so that you are observing/measuring from the same source. You also haven't mentioned how you intend to determine when one of the devices has failed, which itself would need other active devices (likely a small MCU).

    -Bob L.

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