Tag

dependent-failure-analysis

3 articles

A row of heavily corroded bolts on a steel plate, with the nearest bolt head in sharp focus and rust across the joint.

System Architectural Design: Where Independence Breaks

Two processors, separate software, one monitor, and a torque error neither of them can see. What an architecture is really for, why block diagrams hide shared failures, and how a small ground offset makes two independent readings agree on the wrong answer. New article, with a fictional active anti-roll bar as the worked example.

6 minNov 11, 2026

An automotive driver-assistance controller board with two identical processor packages side by side, next to a larger processor, memory, power components and a row of connectors, all on one PCB.

Technical

The Core Concept of Dependent Failure Analysis in ISO 26262

Two redundant channels are not automatically independent. What a dependent failure is, the difference between common cause and cascading failures, the coupling factors that tie elements together, and why ISO 26262 asks for DFA.

7 minOct 2, 2026

Abstract geometric network of connected nodes against a pale blue background.

Dependent Failure Analysis: Three Checks Beyond Redundancy

Two channels can still share one vulnerability. Learn three practical DFA checks for examining common causes, hidden dependencies and the evidence behind independence claims.

3 minSep 29, 2026

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Safety analysesDependent Failure Analysis (DFA)Learn how ISO 26262-9 Clause 7 verifies that redundant channels and ASIL decomposition are genuinely independent, by hunting dependent failure initiators and coupling factors that let one root cause defeat several safety elements at once.Expert plan pricing11 chapters
System levelSystem Architectural Design and Safety ArchitectureA list of technical safety requirements does not tell you what to build. This guide turns them into elements, boundaries and interfaces, allocates every requirement with a reason, and verifies the result before hardware exists.Expert plan pricing10 chapters
FoundationsFaults and FailuresLearn the complete fault taxonomy: single-point, residual, latent, and safe faults plus transient vs. permanent classifications. Covers FTTI analysis, dependent failure analysis, FMEDA calculations, and the bathtub curve.Pro plan pricing Expert plan pricing14 chapters