Development of electric/electronic architectures for safety-related vehicle functions.

The development of software-based systems for vehicles in compliance with the new standard ISO 26262 functional safety for road vehicles requires a common understanding between the two domains. In this paper, we consider the impact of the ISO 26262 to the concept phase of the vehicle development, especially the model-based development of electric/electronic architectures. To found a formal basis for the electric/electronic architecture modeling, located in the development process and addressed by ISO 26262, we introduce a meta-model, combining the major concepts and relations of electric/electronic architectures and ISO 26262. Safety analysis can be supported by data available in the electric/electronic architecture model. In this paper, we present a methodology to facilitate and accumulate context-based information from electric/electronic architecture models to use them as input information for safety analysis. We also demonstrate how to perform the safety analysis method, that is, failure mode and effect analysis, based on the same architecture description language as the electric/electronic architecture model and also within the same modeling tool. We also present a methodology for the modeling and consideration of safety aspects and requirements crossing different system perimeters. This facilitates the consistent description and analysis of systems of systems, such as contemporary vehicles. Copyright (C) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.