A Case Study: Inverter Safety in Compliance with ISO26262

Functional safety for inverters is a critical aspect of ensuring the safe operation of modern vehicles, particularly in the context of electric and hybrid vehicles. Inverters' primary duty is to supply the motor with the necessary phase currents so that it can produce the requested torque. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 26262 standard has provided a detailed road map for this safety-critical system. The concept stage of the roadmap is the main topic of this article. In this direction, the system is specified and an item definition section for the inverter is constructed. Hazard analysis and risk assessment (HARA) of this system is used to explore potential risks, and fault tree analysis (FTA) is used to look into the root causes of those risks. The foundations of the safety system are formed by carrying out functional safety activities in accordance with ISO26262 for a safer system.