Since its release in 2011, the ISO26262 functional safety standard for automotive safety has lead to even higher expectations for future automotive quality. The specification defines Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) of A, B, C or D, with D being the most critical. Each level demands a maximum failure rate and a minimum percentage of “safe” failures with respect to all failures the system can have in operation. The standard’s FMEDA (Failure Mode Effect and Detection Analysis) has become a valuable and easy-to-use tool for IC designers.

With volume production of its first products to target the new standard due in early 2013, one automotive IC supplier, ams AG, expects that the vast majority of automotive ICs it has under development will include ISO26262 requirements. Specific applications cover electric power steering, pedal and position sensors.

For more information about ams products click, here.