Diversity evaluation of complex electronic components for safety-relevant applications in nuclear power plants

Complex electronic components (CEC) such as FPGAs and CPLDs are increasingly used in modern instrumentation and control (I&C) systems. To avoid common cause failures, they must also be considered when assessing the diversity of such I&C systems. In order to make this possible, diversity attributes for the evaluation of complex electronic components for safety-relevant applications were developed as part of this project. In a first step, the various types of complex electronic components and the manufacturers who offer such CEC were researched. Furthermore, the existing requirements for CEC in national and international regulations were evaluated and possible investigation criteria derived from them. The hardware-based production and development of selected CEC was then examined based on publicly available information and differentiation criteria were derived. A small-scale study was also carried out on software tools that can be used for the development of CEC.