“I want to develop a new functional safety system for my xEV inverter!”
“I want to shorten the development time of my xEV inverter!”
“I want to eliminate excessive safety mechanisms and circuits in my xEV inverter!”
“I want to realize common safety mechanisms addressing various system configurations!”
I am writing this article for engineers with the requests above.
Nice to meet you, my name is Tsubota from Renesas. I am responsible for system development for xEV inverters. In this blog, I will introduce Renesas' “Functional Safety System Concept Solutions for xEV Inverters”.
“I want to develop a new functional safety system for my xEV inverter!”
ISO 26262, the international functional safety standard for automotive, is required by all automobile manufacturers and is inevitable for system manufacturers, and it must be applied from the planning stage of the development.
When developing in accordance with ISO 26262, in the concept phase of part 3, the automobile manufacturers (OEM) generally determine the safety goals based on the item definition, the hazard analysis and risk assessment, and establish a "Functional Safety Concept" to achieve the safety goals. In the system design phase of part 4, "Technical Safety Requirements" are created to realize the system, the hardware/software configuration is determined, and safety mechanisms are allocated.
However, when starting from scratch, there are an enormous number of aspects to be considered, including
- Where should we start?
- How deep should we go?
- Are we forgetting anything?
Renesas provides reference Work Products that guide and simplify the application of ISO26262, from the concept phase through system design (blue area in the figure) based on the item assumed by Renesas.
You can use these references to help define "aspects to be considered", speed up the concept phase activities, and focus your efforts on the system design.
The reference Work Products for this system provide considerable assistance for the system design by allocating the most suitable Renesas devices and safety mechanisms to implement the applicable safety requirements. In addition, Work Products for each device (MCU, PMIC) can be utilized in the system design.
“I want to shorten the development time of my xEV inverter!”
Especially when addressing functional safety for the first time, one could study and apply ISO 26262 on their own, with the risk that some cases may not pass acceptance (certification) by a third-party organization, delaying the timeframe.
Renesas has developed reference Work Products targeting ASIL C by utilizing our experience developing our "xEV Inverter Reference Solution" and using our knowledge of the system. Renesas has had these work products reviewed by an independent third-party organization SGS Japan Inc. and obtained a technical report confirming they comply with the standard.
You can comply with the functional safety requirements of xEV inverters by referring to these Work Products, and further shorten the development time by utilizing the "xEV Inverter Reference Solution" for the system design (hardware and software).
“I want to eliminate excessive safety mechanisms and circuits in my xEV inverter!”
For example, if you assign higher ASIL than equivalent systems in the market, you are at risk of having more excessive safety mechanisms than competing manufacturers, reducing your cost competitiveness. This Reference Design is based on market analysis, so you can trust the minimum safety mechanisms required are implemented, without being over designed. You can also choose optional features or add specific OEM requirements, depending on your situation.
“I want to realize common safety mechanisms addressing various system configurations!”
Inverters can be configured with a single motor, dual motors, or even boost/buck function. These reference Work Products allow you to select options considering possible configurations in advance and covering a wide range of system configurations.
Summary
Renesas' “Functional Safety System Concept Solutions for xEV Inverter” addresses the following requests
“I want to develop a new functional safety system for my xEV inverter!”
“I want to shorten the development time of my xEV inverter!”
“I want to eliminate excessive safety mechanisms and circuits in my xEV inverter!”
“I want to realize common safety mechanisms addressing various system configurations!”
If you have those requests, we can help.
If you are interested in this service, please contact our sales team.