Critical Embedded Systems

VIMIMA30  |  Electrical Engineering MSc  |  Semester: 2  |  Credit: 5

Objectives, learning outcomes and obtained knowledge

Dependability is a critical aspect for the design of safety-critical embedded systems (avionics, automotive, medical, etc.) where a system failure may result in severe losses or casualties. The course aims to overview the main development, verification and validation principles and technologies of critical embedded systems. The second half of the subject specifically focuses on issues of nuclear safety (including, specifically, the engineering field closest to electrical engineering and IT, and focusing on the nuclear control systems that are related to safety).
Vörös András
András Vörös

associate professor

Course coordinator

Lecturers

Vörös András
András Vörös

associate professor

Synopsis

Lectures:

Week 1: Introduction: design methodology of critical embedded systems, development processes and languages for design support.

Week 2: Basic concepts of safety. Functional safety (IEC 61508): Specification of safety requirements. Hardware security integrity. Use of software in safety-critical systems. Planning the architecture of safety-critical systems: typical fail-stop and fail-operational architectures (fault tolerance).

Week 3: Hazard analysis: checklists, Fault mode and effect analysis, fault tree, event tree, cause-effect analysis, reliability block diagrams.

Week 4: Complex analysis methods for evaluating dependability, dynamic analysis methods and analysis algorithms.

Week 5: Testing methods: specialties of test planning and the testing process. Requirement and architecture modeling in safety-critical systems.

Week 6: Formal modeling and verification, model-based source code generation.

Week 7: Embedded systems in the avionic industry. Software development in the avionic field within the framework of the DO-178B standard.

Week 8: Safety case. Structured reasoning and communication. Graphical notations: GSN and ASCAD. Functional safety (IEC 61508): Specification of safety requirements. Random and systematic safety integrity.

Week 9: Introduction to the objectives and terminology of nuclear safety. Basics of nuclear energy production, inherent safety, feedbacks. Types of nuclear reactors and the structure of pressurized water power plants.

Week 10: Principles of nuclear safety. Risk-based approach, functional safety (61508) and nuclear safety. Safety goals, operating conditions.

Week 11: Design principles and safety features at the level of the nuclear power plant (system). Characteristics of nuclear power plants. Safety objectives and basic protection strategies. Main protection systems and their tasks/roles.

Week 12: Significant/Famous reactor accidents, malfunctions (Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima, serious malfunction in Paks in 2003). Lessons learned and changes in safety requirements as a result of accidents (specifically in the field of control technology). Modern power plants: Generation III+ reactor types and their main characteristics.

Week 13: The role of nuclear control systems in nuclear power plants, their characteristics. Basic functions of nuclear control systems. Hierarchical and functional grouping of nuclear control systems. Protection systems. Block performance control methods, their characteristics. Flexible modes of operation.

Week 14: Legal and regulatory background (nuclear law, NBSZ, government decree 190). IAEA standards and guidelines. Safety categorization, safety classification (IAEA, IEC and Hungarian). Main design principles of nuclear control engineering systems. The most important components of the design for dependability of nuclear control systems.

Classroom practices:

1. Dependability modelling

2. Dependability analysis

3. Introduction to testing, basic methods

4. Formal modelling of real-time systems

5. Formal verification