Search Results

The importance of functional safety design has recently grown with the increasing widespread application of electric/electronic (E/E) systems in today's automotive industry. Such E/E systems, usually composed of mechatronic actuators, various sensors, and electronic control units (ECU), have become too complex to be handled in the conventional quality management manner that was used for most predominantly mechanical applications. ISO/DIS 26262, an adaptation of the pre-existing IEC 61508 requirements specifically for the automotive industry, has been prepared as the global standard to meet such demands for a more structured and systematic approach to functional safety design. The functional safety concept design includes a hazard analysis and risk assessment phase that is based on ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) categorization. ASIL has four levels, A, B, C, and D, where A has the lowest risk and D has the highest.