Functional Safety Data Generation for Microcontrollers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for generating functional safety data for electronic components like microcontrollers and ASICs are inefficient, as they require re-analysis and re-design whenever the application changes, leading to inefficiencies in fault impact and safety mechanism assessment.
Innovation Solution
A method for generating and customizing functional safety data by receiving configuration, fault impact, and fault coverage analysis data, which includes generating lambda values and probabilistic metrics according to ISO 26262 standards, allowing for a customizable analysis report that can facilitate 'what if' analysis and improved design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional FMEA analysis is performed for each specific application, then fault coverage and safety mechanism analysis are accurate for that application, but the analysis process must be repeated whenever the application changes, leading to loss of time and reduced productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs fault impact analysis and fault coverage analysis at the component level before system integration, creating pre-characterized safety data for each electronic component. This preliminary analysis allows the component to be fully characterized regarding its safety properties independent of the specific application, so that when applications change, the pre-performed analysis results can be reused without repeating the entire analysis process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the safety analysis into hierarchical levels: component-level analysis (fault impact, fault coverage, safety mechanisms) and system-level analysis. By segmenting the analysis this way, the component-level results become application-independent and can be reused across different systems, reducing redundant analysis work while maintaining accuracy.
2Reliability
If design is re-partitioned and re-analyzed for each application change, then the safety analysis remains accurate for the new application, but the design process becomes inefficient and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs fault impact analysis, fault probabilistic characterization, and fault coverage analysis as preliminary steps during component design and characterization, creating a reusable safety data set. This allows the component to be fully safety-characterized once, and the results can be applied to multiple applications without re-partitioning or re-analysis, thereby maintaining reliability while improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates application-independent fault impact data and safety mechanism characterizations that can be universally applied across different applications. The component-level safety analysis results serve multiple purposes and can be reused in various system contexts, making the analysis process multi-functional and eliminating the need for repeated application-specific analysis.
3Measurement precision
If application-specific FMEA statistics are prepared for each usage scenario, then the fault analysis is accurate for that scenario, but the process becomes inefficient and complex when multiple usage scenarios are considered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the FMEA process into component-level characterization (creating application-independent fault impact data) and system-level application. This segmentation eliminates the need to prepare separate FMEA statistics for each usage scenario, as the component-level data serves as a universal foundation for all applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs fault impact analysis and fault probabilistic characterization as preliminary component characterization steps, creating a reusable baseline that applies to all usage scenarios. This preliminary action eliminates the need to repeat these analysis steps for each new application, reducing both complexity and improving efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A design support system and a method of generating and using a customizable analysis report comprising functional safety data for an electronic component, such as microcontroller, are described.