Research project aims at avoiding errors in the design of safety-critical components
The objective of the VeTeSS project is to prepare new automated processes for safety system and subcomponent development in accordance with ISO 26262. With VeTeSS, procedures for the reliability and performance testing in the design phase of the safety system and subcomponents will be standardized for the first time.
This will enable engineers to correct errors at an earlier development stage and further improve the quality and durability of the electrical and electronic safety systems in the vehicle. What is more, the risk of error will be reduced during the certification process that is typically required to prove the efficiency of the safety system.
Introduced at the end of 2011, the ISO 26262 standard is intended to assure the functionality of the increasingly complex electrical and electronic systems responsible for safety-related functions in vehicles. The standard defines the requirements of the safety functions in the vehicle and includes guidelines for the development process. Modern semiconductor technologies improve system performance and the energy efficiency of electronic control units in vehicles. In addition, they facilitate the use of increasingly small transistors and thus more intelligent systems.
However, growing complexity increases the risk of design errors during the development process. That is why it is necessary to test and verify the electronic systems and their subcomponents throughout this phase. So far, each manufacturer developed its own individual in-house methods. The ISO standard 26262 however stipulates a standard and automated test method, which is now being developed by the VeTeSS partners. This will also make it possible for subcomponents to be certified individually or in connection with a specific overall system and then integrated into different systems, such as electrical power steering, electronic stability control or anti-lock braking systems.
Exida.com, an internationally recognized certification body, will share its know-how during the implementation of the ISO 26262, and will make the VeTeSS results usable for industrial applications. The IIS-Design Automation Division EAS of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is developing methods and tools for the rapid evaluation of the entire system, which includes intelligent sensor technology, the electronic control unit with the microcontroller and power electronics. ikv++ technologies, as a supplier of analysis and design methods for the automotive market, will work on the definition of requirements for the use and development of demonstrators. In terms of the ISO 26262 standard, TWT GmbH Science & Innovation will contribute its know-how in digital product development and develop complex simulation methods to identify possible errors quickly and reliably. TWT is also responsible for the requirements analysis for ISO 26262-based information management. Infineon is in charge of verifying hardware and software components and developing the test software.
A total of 24 European partners from the automotive industry and its connected areas are working on the VeTeSS research project. Besides Infineon, partners include carmaker Volvo and Fiat, the University of Oxford (UK), the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, Austrian automotive technology company AVL List, chipmaker NXP and the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS. The project is funded in part by the European Union which contributes 3.2 million euros.
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