Intel Corporation on the future of Functional Safety for autonomous vehicles

Automotive IQ sat down with Mr. Pipponzi, Functional Safety Automation Manager at Intel Corporation and discussed the increasing complexity in functional safety for electric and automated vehicles. 

Mr. Pipponzi, you are Functional Safety Automation Manager at Intel. What is your precise role when it comes to applying the standard ISO 26262?

I am in charge of defining the Functional Safety automation strategy both in terms of tools and methodology, with particular regard to activities such as: safety analysis, safety metrics computation, safety metrics verification, safety requirements management. 

You are responsible for hardware and digital design. Which one is more challenging when it comes to applying ISO 26262? Why is that?

HW design can be complicated because of the complexity of a semiconductor component, where we end up having to deal with millions of elementary sub-parts the contribution of which must be taken into account individually.

Semiconductor companies are lobbying against FMEDA and FTA to be within the ISO 26262 standard. What is the issue with those fault analysis for semiconductors?

I do not think there is a specific position against FMEDA. While it is normally accepted that FTA applies more naturally to levels of abstraction above the semiconductor component, FMEDA is typically recognized as the best method for quantitative analysis in order to be able to reach the required targets with respect to the desired integrity level. The fact that a specific technique must not be “mandated” in the standard and alternative techniques might be used as well is perfectly acceptable and very much in line with the overall spirit of the standard.

The trend towards autonomous and electric vehicles adds complexity to semiconductors. How do you at Intel prepare for this?

More automation is definitely the key. As the complexity increase the user must be freed from anything that might be repetitive and helped keeping the focus on the actual value of the safety process.

What will be the topic of your presentation on the “Guidance of ISO 26262 to Semiconductor” conference in December in Munich?

“Functional Safety Automation: What’s Next”

Which are the directions toward which automation in functional safety is supposed to move to deal with the increasing levels of complexity.