AdvancedTopic 102 of 104Electronics & Embedded
Reliability and functional safety
Standards like ISO 26262 and IEC 61508 guide safe electronics design.
In depth
Standards such as IEC 61508 and ISO 26262 define safety integrity levels (SIL/ASIL) with processes for hazard analysis, redundancy, diagnostics, fault tolerance and verification. Techniques: lock-step cores, ECC memory, watchdogs, FMEDA, safe states.
Key points
- Failure rates in FIT
- Diagnostic coverage
- Traceability of requirements
ExampleBrake-by-wire electronics require ASIL D design.
Functional safety standards define how to design electronics that must not fail dangerously, which is required for cars, machines and medical devices.
What is Reliability and functional safety?
Standards like ISO 26262 and IEC 61508 guide safe electronics design.
Why is it important to understand reliability and functional safety?
Functional safety standards define how to design electronics that must not fail dangerously, which is required for cars, machines and medical devices.
What does a safety integrity level mean?
A rating of the risk reduction a safety function must achieve, with higher levels requiring stricter design, testing and evidence.
Why does redundancy help with safety?
Two independent channels can detect a fault in one, but the design must still avoid common-cause failures that affect both.
How is Reliability and functional safety used in practice?
Typical applications include designing a brake controller to meet ISO 26262 targets, choosing redundant sensors for a machine safety function under IEC 61508 and planning fault detection and diagnostics for a medical device.
What should I learn before Reliability and functional safety?
Study "Low-power design techniques" first (topic 101 of 104 in Electronics & Embedded). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
What are the key points of Reliability and functional safety?
Failure rates in FIT. Diagnostic coverage. Traceability of requirements.
Can you give an example of Reliability and functional safety?
Brake-by-wire electronics require ASIL D design.
What comes after Reliability and functional safety?
The next topic is "RISC-V open architecture", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Reliability and functional safety?
It is classed as Advanced in Electronics & Embedded (topic 102 of 104). It is an advanced topic. It assumes you are comfortable with the intermediate topics in Electronics & Embedded.