Document Details

RAFIAReliable ASIC / FPGABased Solutions for I&C Applications
Author:	Thuy, Nguyen
Co-Author(s):

In order to extend the lifetime of existing nuclear power plants, aged instrumentation and control (I&C) equipment must be replaced. In particular, that may concern equipment implementing functions important to safety or plant performance. However, I&C components currently in use are often no longer commercially available and electronic components that are commercially available now will have a lifetime much shorter than the expected remaining lifetime of most nuclear power plants. As the safety justification of 'traditional' software-based I&C systems implementing safety functions is notoriously difficult due to the complexity of such systems, possible risks of common-cause failure (CCF) and cyber security concerns, this paper proposes the use of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), more specifically field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), to replace many of these components, including those requiring the highest levels of safety and dependability. The paper presents both the motivation for the use of FPGAs in I&C systems (especially in comparison to software-based approaches) and the methodology to ensure that the design and implementation of FPGA-based solutions can be cost-effective and safety justified with the highest confidence. This methodology has been developed in the framework of the RAFFIA project (Reliable ASIC/FPGA-based solutions For I&c Applications), a collaboration between utility I&C researchers and academic dependable circuit researchers.

ISBN:
Price:	£21.28 (£21.28 inc.)
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