In the aerospace industry the level of security must be the highest possible.

For this reason, functional safety is an aspect historically considered in the avionic and aerospace sectors.

XEFRACERT carries out independent safety assessments, analysing the full respect of the standards-based requirements, for example:

• US RTCA DO-178B North American Avionics Software

• US RTCA DO-254 North American Avionics Hardware

• EUROCAE ED-12B European Airborne Flight Safety Systems

Automotive functional safety

The list of functional safety handled by cars’ electronics or programmable electronics is in continuous growth.
Functional safety characteristics are an integral part of each product development step, and cover project requirement, implementation, integration, verifying, validating and production.
ISO 26262 is an adaptation to IEC 61508 functional safety standard for electrical and electronical systems in automotive division.

ISO 26262 standard is considered a best practice framework to achieve functional safety in the car industry.
Like IEC 61508, also ISO 26262 is a standard that: provides a life-circle of the automotive safety (management, development, production, functioning, maintenance, dismantling) and adapts all activities during these life-circle phases:
Introduces functional safety aspects in the entire development process (including activities like requirement specification, designing, implementation, integration, verifying, validating and configuration);
Provides a specific automotive risk-based approach to determine levels of risks (Automotive Safety Integrity Level, ASILS);
Uses ASILS’ level to determine safety requirements.

Below, a list of the main safety functions:

• Vehicle management systems

• Battery management systems

• Anti-lock braking systems

• Vehicle stability monitoring

• Traction control

• Braking force electronic distribution

• Emergency Brake Assistance

• Collision prevention

• Lane departure warning systems

• Adaptive steering power

• Park assistance

• Adaptive suspension control

• Endurance braking system

• Seat belt pre-tensioner systems

• Airbag

• Driver alert system

• Autonomous cruise-control

• Tyre pressure monitoring system

Rail functional safety

Programmable electronic both in Control-Command Subsystem and in Rail Traffic Management is constantly increasing. Interoperable constituents as:

• Computer-based interlocking

• Level crossing

• Automatic Train Control System (ATCS)

• Driving Support System

• ERTMS/ETCS (European Rail Traffic Management System/European Train Control System)

The following fall within the standard functional safety scope:

• EN50126 (IEC 62278) – RAMS

• EN50128 (IEC 622279) – Software

• EN50129 (IEC 62425) – Safety systems