Compliance Considerations And Standards For Railway Application PCB Design

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Standards for Railway Application PCB Design

Designing electronic systems for the railway sector comes with the responsibility of meeting strict regulations and adhering to industry standards. In this blog post, we will outline some of the key regulations, such as IEC 61508 and CENELEC, and the set of standards that must be followed to ensure high reliability in railway applications.

IEC 61508 Regulations

Standards for Railway Application PCB Design IEC 61508

IEC 61508 is an international standard for functional safety, published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Its full title is “Functional Safety of Electrical/Electronic/Programmable Electronic (E/E/PE) Safety-related Systems.” This standard aims to provide guidance on functional safety aspects of electrical, electronic, and programmable electronic systems throughout their lifecycle, including design, development, installation, operation, and maintenance phases.

The primary purpose of IEC 61508 is to ensure that electrical, electronic, and programmable electronic systems can perform their required functions correctly while assessing and controlling potential hazards and failures to ensure the safety of personnel, equipment, and the environment.

The standard emphasizes the importance of risk assessment, Safety Integrity Level (SIL), and safety measures. Based on the results of risk assessment, the system is assigned an appropriate SIL level, which determines the necessary functional safety measures to ensure the system’s safety.

IEC 61508 is applicable to various industries, including but not limited to transportation (such as railways and aviation), automation, petrochemical, energy, medical devices, etc. For systems involving high risks and critical safety aspects, adherence to the IEC 61508 standard is crucial to ensuring the safety and reliability of the system.

The IEC 61508 standard provides guidelines for functional safety across the entire lifecycle of electrical, electronic, or programmable electronic (E/E/PE) systems. It focuses on two critical aspects:

Compliance with Safety Integrity Level (SIL) Requirements:

The standard emphasizes specific architecture requirements to meet the desired SIL, ensuring the safety of the system based on the severity of potential hazards.

Methodology for FCC (Functional Safety Compliance):

IEC 61508 does not encompass the concept of Fail Safe, but rather provides methodologies for obtaining compliance with functional safety standards.

Three Fundamental Principles in IEC 61508:

Zero Risk Cannot Be Achieved:

The standard recognizes that absolute risk elimination is not possible, but safety measures must be put in place to minimize risks.

Non-Tolerable Risks Must Be Reduced:

The standard mandates reducing risks to the extent possible through careful design and implementation.

Security Management from the Beginning:

Safety considerations should be an integral part of the entire development process, starting from the initial stages.

Standards for Railway Application PCB Design CENELEC

CENELEC Regulations

CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) is an organization responsible for electrical engineering standardization in Europe. It is part of the European standardization system, along with ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) and CEN (European Committee for Standardization).

CENELEC’s mission is to develop and promote electrical engineering standards applicable within Europe, covering various fields such as power systems, electronic devices, and telecommunications equipment.

For the railway sector, CENELEC has established a series of standards that address safety, reliability, software management, and other relevant aspects of railway systems and equipment. Among them, EN 50126, EN 50128, and EN 50129 are significant standards specifically designed for the railway industry, covering safety management, software management, and system safety of electronic equipment, respectively.

By adhering to CENELEC standards, the railway industry ensures that its electrical, electronic, and communication equipment meets the safety and performance requirements set forth in Europe, and it helps gain recognition in international markets. These standards provide consistent specifications for manufacturers, suppliers, and operators in the railway sector, ensuring the stable and highly reliable operation of railway systems.

CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) is pivotal in European electrical engineering standardization. It works in collaboration with the European Union, relying significantly on IEC publications while also producing its own standards.

CENELEC is structured into three critical standards for the railway sector:

EN 50126 (IEC 62278) – Railway Application Safety Management:

This standard defines safety regulations throughout the lifecycle of railway systems, including requirements, design, manufacturing, validation, and more. It also covers the organizational aspects necessary for safety compliance, RAMS concept, and safety management for Command, Control, and Signaling.

EN 50128 (IEC 62279) – Safety Software Management for Railway Control Systems:

EN 50128 addresses safety software management in railway control and protection systems, focusing on the software aspect of safety. It complements the hardware-focused standards and can be applied to various railway applications.

EN 50129 (IEC 62425) – System Safety of Electronic Railway Equipment:

EN 50129 complements EN 50126 and emphasizes aspects related to hardware and programmable logic. It ensures system safety in electronic railway equipment, including FPGAs and other critical components.

Importance of Applying CENELEC Regulations:

Compliance with CENELEC standards facilitates international market access, enhances competitiveness, and helps identify and rectify errors early in the design process, saving time and costs.

Designing PCBs for railway applications requires strict adherence to regulations and standards, with IEC 61508 and CENELEC being fundamental references. By following these guidelines from the outset of a design, PCB designers can ensure the highest level of safety, reliability, and efficiency in railway electronic systems.

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Compliance Considerations and Standards for Railway Application PCB Design