IEC 61508-3:2010
Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems - Part 3: Software requirements

Standard No.

IEC 61508-3:2010

Release Date

2010

Published By

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

Latest

IEC 61508-3:2010

Scope

This part of the IEC 61508 series a) is intended to be utilized only after a thorough understanding of IEC 61508-1 and IEC 61508-2; b) applies to any software forming part of a safety-related system or used to develop a safety-related system within the scope of IEC 61508-1 and IEC 61508-2. Such software is termed safety-related software (including operating systems, system software, software in communication networks, human-computer interface functions, and firmware as well as application software); c) provides specific requirements applicable to support tools used to develop and configure a safety-related system within the scope of IEC 61508-1 and IEC 61508-2; d) requires that the software safety functions and software systematic capability are specified; e) establishes requirements for safety lifecycle phases and activities which shall be applied during the design and development of the safety-related software (the software safety lifecycle model). These requirements include the application of measures and techniques, which are graded against the required systematic capability, for the avoidance of and control of faults and failures in the software; f) provides requirements for information relating to the software aspects of system safety validation to be passed to the organisation carrying out the E/E/PE system integration; g) provides requirements for the preparation of information and procedures concerning software needed by the user for the operation and maintenance of the E/E/PE safetyrelated system; h) provides requirements to be met by the organisation carrying out modifications to safetyrelated software; i) provides, in conjunction with IEC 61508-1 and IEC 61508-2, requirements for support tools such as development and design tools, language translators, testing and debugging tools, configuration management tools; j) Does not apply for medical equipment in compliance with the IEC 60601 series.

IEC 61508-3:2010 history

• 2010 IEC 61508-3:2010 Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems - Part 3: Software requirements
• 1970 IEC 61508-3:1998/COR1:1999 Corrigendum 1 - Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems - Part 3: Software requirements
• 1999 IEC 61508-3/COR:1999 Functional Safety of Electrical/Electronic/Programmable Electronic Safety-Related Systems - Part 3: Software Requirements (Edition 1.0)
• 1998 IEC 61508-3:1998 Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems - Part 3: Software requirements