Master ISO 26262Functional Safety Excellence

ISO 26262 is the international standard for functional safety of electrical and electronic systems in road vehicles. It provides a framework for developing safe automotive systems by defining processes, methods, and requirements throughout the entire product lifecycle. The current edition is ISO 26262:2018, which consists of 12 parts covering the complete safety lifecycle from management and concept through production and decommissioning.

ISO 26262:2018 actually has 12 parts: Part 1 (Vocabulary), Part 2 (Management of functional safety), Part 3 (Concept phase), Part 4 (Product development at the system level), Part 5 (Product development at the hardware level), Part 6 (Product development at the software level), Part 7 (Production, operation, service and decommissioning), Part 8 (Supporting processes), Part 9 (ASIL-oriented and safety-oriented analyses), Part 10 (Guidelines on ISO 26262), Part 11 (Guidelines on application of ISO 26262 to semiconductors), and Part 12 (Adaptation of ISO 26262 for motorcycles).

ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) is determined during HARA (Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment) by evaluating three parameters for each hazardous event: Severity (S0-S3), Exposure (E0-E4), and Controllability (C0-C3). The combination of these three parameters maps to an ASIL level from QM (no safety requirements) through ASIL A (lowest) to ASIL D (highest rigor). Higher ASIL levels require more rigorous development methods, more independence in reviews, and stricter hardware metrics targets.

FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) is a bottom-up analysis that starts from individual component failure modes and traces their effects up to the system level. FTA (Fault Tree Analysis) is a top-down analysis that starts from an undesired top event (like a safety goal violation) and works down through logic gates to identify combinations of basic events that cause it. FMEA is typically used for hardware design analysis and supports hardware metrics calculation, while FTA is used for probabilistic safety analysis and identifying minimal cut sets. Both are essential techniques in ISO 26262.

ISO 26262 Academy offers over 2,700 exam questions with detailed explanations, covering all 12 parts of ISO 26262:2018. Questions are organized by concept and difficulty level to help you prepare for certification exams.

The FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) simulator helps you practice bottom-up failure analysis with an interactive guided worksheet, automatic RPN calculation, and export capabilities. The FTA (Fault Tree Analysis) simulator enables top-down probabilistic safety analysis with graphical fault tree construction, AND/OR gate logic, cut set analysis, and probability calculations. Both are interactive tools that teach real-world safety analysis techniques used in automotive projects.

ISO 26262 Academy is designed for automotive safety engineers, functional safety managers, ADAS/autonomous vehicle engineers, hardware and software engineers in automotive, safety assessors, and students preparing for functional safety careers. Whether you are an entry-level engineer learning the basics or a senior professional preparing for certification, the platform adapts to your level.

IEC 61508 is the generic international standard for functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic systems across all industries. ISO 26262 is the automotive-specific adaptation of IEC 61508, tailored for road vehicle applications. Key differences include: ISO 26262 uses ASIL levels (A-D) instead of SIL levels (1-4), includes automotive-specific methods like HARA with Severity/Exposure/Controllability, defines hardware metrics (SPFM, LFM, PMHF) specific to automotive, and addresses the full vehicle development lifecycle including concept phase and production.

ISO 26262 is not legally mandatory in most jurisdictions, but it is the de facto industry standard for automotive functional safety. Most OEMs require their suppliers to comply with ISO 26262, making it effectively mandatory for companies in the automotive supply chain. Regulatory frameworks such as UN regulations for automated driving increasingly reference functional safety principles aligned with ISO 26262. Non-compliance can lead to product liability issues and loss of business with OEMs.

Yes! Our Expert Consultation service connects you with real human functional safety engineers (not AI) who can answer your specific ISO 26262 questions. Submit your question, receive a personalized quote, and get detailed expert answers with free follow-up clarification. Topics covered include safety analysis (FMEA, FTA, FMEDA, DFA), architecture (ASIL decomposition, safety mechanisms), compliance (gap assessments, audit preparation), and technical questions (hardware metrics, software partitioning).

A Safety Case is a structured argument supported by evidence that demonstrates a system is acceptably safe for its intended use. In ISO 26262, it follows a claims-evidence-argument structure, often using Goal Structuring Notation (GSN). The safety case compiles all safety work products, analysis results, test reports, and review records to provide a compelling argument that safety goals are met. It is reviewed during the Functional Safety Assessment (FSA) by independent assessors.