Functional safety: Integrating safety into the electronic controller
Integration of functional safety
In the past, mechanical or electric/electronic scaling circuits - separated from the central electronic controller - provided this safety. E.D.&A. has clearly taken notice of the current trend of integrating key components of this into the electronic controller itself.
The integration of this functional safety into the electronic controller leads to a reduction in the number of components required as well as the associated costs. And that is not all: the wiring, supply chain and after-sales service also become much simpler. In very specific cases, this integration may actually be the only means of achieving the desired result in terms of safety.
Many standards have to be taken into account, including EN/IEC 60335, EN/IEC 60730 and EN/ISO 13849, whether or not supplemented by specific national standards. Which specific standards must be applied is contingent on the application domains and the country in which the machine or equipment is intended for sale.
Focus on certification
From day one of a project, E.D.&A. works together with the certification body. Experience has taught us that this approach is a productive one. Step-by-step, we verify the requirements, design and implementation together so that we can make timely adjustments where necessary. The outcome of this is that the final conformity assessment and accreditation runs more smoothly, without any unpleasant surprises.
The E.D.&A. R&D department development process complies perfectly with the requirements stipulated in the applicable standards. The quality of this is guaranteed by the ISO 9001:2015 quality system.
V-model, FMEA, SIL and/or PL
We use a V-model as the foundation upon which we work through the various phases of design. In an initial phase, we work closely with the customer to set up and review the risk assessment. The targeted requirements serve as the basis for further development. During the execution of a design, FMEA, SIL and/or PL calculations are typically used for designs involving functional safety. These specific issues are supplemented by standard tasks such as reviews and validation tests.
Combined standards
Some designs need to satisfy several different standards. In this area too, E.D.&A. is able to build upon its experiences acquired in the past. We have produced a VDE-certified electronic controller, for example, that satisfies the following standards: EN 60335, EN 60730 with Class B software and EN 13849 (SIL2 - PLd).
In recent years, our approach and experience in the area of functional safety has already resulted in a significant number of successfully completed projects. Our drive for quality is also applied later during our in-house production of the developed electronic controllers.
