Modular Safety System Validation for Dynamic Configuration Compliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current safety validation methods for modular safety systems are complex and inflexible, particularly in dynamic or changing configurations, making it difficult to ensure compliance with safety standards like IEC 61508, especially in Cyber Physical Systems and Industry 4.0 environments where modularization and adaptive configurations are common.
Innovation Solution
A method for automatic validation of safety functions in modular safety systems, involving a checking device that stores and compares safety-relevant target characteristic values with actual parameters from subsystem modules, generating reaction signals to ensure compliance and trigger safety reactions as needed, allowing for online and offline validation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual validation methods are used for modular safety systems, then validation can be performed with simple tools, but the validation process becomes increasingly complex and time-consuming with dynamic configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The safety system performs self-validation by automatically comparing its actual configuration parameters against stored target parameters. The system autonomously detects configuration errors and generates validation results without requiring external manual intervention, thereby simplifying the validation process while maintaining high reliability for modular and dynamic configurations.
2Reliability
If comprehensive safety validation is performed on complete systems, then all safety functions can be verified, but the validation becomes unmanageable with growing system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The validation process is segmented into modular steps: individual subsystem modules are validated separately by comparing their specific parameter sets against target parameters, then results are aggregated to validate the complete system. This hierarchical segmentation makes comprehensive validation manageable by breaking it down into smaller, independent validation units that can be processed systematically.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional validation methods are used for modular systems, then existing validation processes can be maintained, but adaptation to dynamic configurations becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The validation system is designed to be dynamic by automatically adapting to changing system configurations. When modules are added, removed, or modified, the system dynamically retrieves updated target parameters and performs validation without requiring reconfiguration of the validation process itself. This dynamic capability enables the system to handle flexible modular configurations while maintaining a relatively simple validation mechanism.
4Productivity
If automated validation is implemented, then validation efficiency improves, but the system requires more complex infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses parameter sets as virtual copies of the actual safety system configuration. Instead of requiring complex physical test equipment, the validation process creates and compares digital parameter representations (target parameter sets and actual parameter sets). This copying approach enables automated validation with simple computational infrastructure while maintaining high efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an automatic validation of safety functions of a safety system constructed in a modular manner with subsystem modules. Safety-relevant target characteristic values of a system, which forms a safety system that is to be constructed or is constructed in a modular manner from at least two subsystem modules, in particular residual error probabilities, failure rates and/or overall reaction times, are stored in machine-readable form in the memory of a checking device and local, module-specific safety-relevant actual characteristic values at least of each individual subsystem module, which is used or is to be used for the modular structure of the safety system of the system, are stored in machine-readable form in the respective subsystem module. The local, module-specific, safety-relevant actual characteristic values are transmitted from the individual subsystem modules, which currently build up the safety system of the system in a modular manner, to the checking device and are automatically processed into overarching safety-relevant actual characteristic values resulting from the interaction of the individual subsystem modules. The resulting, overarching, safety-relevant actual characteristic values are then compared by the checking device with the target characteristic values of the system stored in the memory of the checking device, and a reaction signal is automatically generated depending on the result of the comparison.