[ISO 26262, Safety Mechanisms] Diagnostic self-tests for E/E Systems and Processors

1. To control failures in Electromechanical Elements (Electrical)

Examples of Electromechanical Elements:

• Relays
• Harnesses including splice and connectors
• Signal switches

1.1. Failure detection by on-line monitoring

• In general, there is no specific hardware element for the realization of the on-line monitoring diagram.

• Example: If a parameter is inverted when the vehicle speed is different from zero, then detection of incoherence between this parameter and vehicle speed leads to failure detection.

• Can also be used to detect failures in electrical elements, I/O, sensors and Actuators

• Normally considered as low diagnostic coverage achievable, except for electrical elements (high diagnostic coverage)

1.2. Comparator

• Requires independence.
• High diagnostic coverage
• Example: two processing units exchange data (including results, intermediate results and test data) reciprocally. A comparison of the data is carried out using software in each unit and detected differences lead to a failure message.

1.3. Majority voter

• It can detect and mask failures
• High diagnostic coverage

2. To control failure in solid-state elements (Electronic)

2.1. Dynamic principles

• A forced change of otherwise static signals (internally or externally generated) helps to detect static failures in elements.
• This technique is often associated with electromechanical elements.
• Medium diagnostic coverage
• Only used to prevent fault from being latent

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