Feature: Sensors
Functional safety
with added intelligence
By Mohammed Dogar, Vice President, Renesas Electronics F
unctional safety has been always the basic requirement in machines and equipment, with the goal of protecting users from harm or injury.
Functional safety standards exist to
provide the necessary regulations and compliance testing requirements for a wide range of equipment, and the IEC 61508 is one such standard. It covers the functional safety aspects for electrical, electronic and electromechanical equipment, and some principles for their application in sector-specific uses.
Key concepts Functional safety covers two fundamental concepts: safety function and safety integrity levels. Within the safety function, all parts – sensors, control systems and actuators – are collectively examined to determine the probability and frequency of failure. Safety integrity levels, on the other hand, define the reductions required to keep risks at an acceptable level. A safety function involves any action or operation necessary for the safe
20 October 2023
www.electronicsworld.co.uk The current
evolution of machine learning/AI and
higher performance computing hardware is driving highly- efficient safety solutions. Integration of various artificial intelligence models is also a key consideration for engineers when designing functional safety systems
running of the equipment. This typically involves sensors/actuators, control circuits, electromechanical devices such as motors, etc., and the mechanisms that maintain safety integrity. Unwanted events involving these devices and systems can pose a serious threat. The preventative actions performed at that instance define the primary safety function. However, the timing between these interrelated actions is crucial, particularly if separate controllers are used for sensing and control actions. Renesas Electronics has been an
active member of functional safety working groups for a long time. It also offers a one-stop functional safety solution with its MCUs and related software frameworks. Its TUV-certified software kit has reduced the time needed to build functional safety systems and manage the certification process of MCUs, irrespective of their application. Renesas MCUs, together with various
sensors – from MEMS accelerometers, environmental sensors, to various visualisation devices – make up the primary components of a control
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