ISO 13849 and IEC 62061 Overview

ISO 13849 and IEC 62061 help inform how machinery control systems manage, command, direct, and regulate other devices or systems. These systems can be simple, such as a thermostat that regulates a boiler. Or, complex, such as a control system for industrial processes.

Regardless of how elaborate a machinery control system may be, it must follow several safety standards to ensure that it is safe and reliable. For that reason, it's important that you understand what is IEC 62061and what is ISO 13849.

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➡️ Machinery control compliance is easy with Static Analysis

ISO 13849 and IEC 62061 Overview

While there are a number of standards that a system must comply with depending on its design, most fall under the international functional safety standard, IEC 61508. It provides the framework for safety lifecycle activities. What’s more, it’s the umbrella functional safety standard — and the source for industry-specific standards.  

IEC 61508 covers safety-related systems that incorporate electrical/electronic/programmable electronic devices. The standard specifically covers hazards that occur when safety functions fail. Properly followed, IEC 61508 reduces the risk of failure to a tolerable level.

What Is ISO 13849?

One of the standards under IEC 61508, ISO 13849 is a safety standard for machinery control systems. It provides the framework for the design and integration of safety-related parts — including software. For each part, ISO 13849 outlines the requirements for it to achieve functional safety.

In addition, ISO 13849 applies to a wide range of technology, including electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and mechanical. The standard specifically covers the functional safety of the different parts that make up machinery control systems. By following ISO 13849, the control system will be able to mitigate identified risks as well as in the event of a failure.

What Is IEC 62061?

Another standard under IEC 61508, IEC 62061 is a standard for safety-related electrical control systems. It provides the framework for the design, integration, and validation of safety-related electrical, electronic, and programmable control systems for machinery. For each component, IEC 62061 outlines the requirements for how to achieve functional safety.

And, IEC 62061 applies specifically to the safety-related electrical control systems that are required for risk reduction. For each component, the standard applies a safety integrity level (SIL) to it to reduce its potential risk. By following IEC 62061, functional safety will be present throughout the overall lifecycle of the control system.

📕 Related Reading: IEC 62061 is important in Industrial Robotics

How Does ISO 13849 and IEC 62061 Apply to Embedded Software?

Embedded software in machinery control systems helps to automate and manage tasks. Not all machinery control systems have embedded software. But, for the ones that do there is often a need to comply with the requirements of IEC 61508-3. The standard applies to any software that is part of a safety-related system.

A static code analyzer — such as Helix QAC and Klocwork — that is certified for use in developing software to this standard helps to ensure your code is safe, reliable, and meets the necessary requirements.

How Static Analysis Makes Compliance with ISO 13849 and IEC 61508 Easy

A static code analysis tool — like Helix QAC and Klocwork — makes it easier to ensure functional safety for machinery control systems. What’s more, both Perforce static code analysis solutions are certified for compliance with key functional safety standards, including IEC 61508 (general industrial) up to SIL 4.

With static code analyzers, you’ll be able to:

• Apply a coding standard.
• Follow coding best practices.
• Identify coding errors, including undefined or unspecified use of C/C++.
• Eliminate security vulnerabilities.
• Manage code quality over time by measuring, tracking, and reporting on quality metrics. 

Examples of How Static Analysis Makes Compliance with ISO 13849 Easy 

Detects Coding Issues Early

Static analysis finds more coding errors — including undefined or unspecified use of C/C++ — than other static code analyzers. And it will give you fewer false positives and false negatives in your diagnostics.

Makes Compliance With MISRA Easy and Simple

The MISRA coding rules identify potential issues in safety-critical systems. The MISRA C and MISRA C++ compliance modules flag sections of your code that violate these rules.

The MISRA C compliance module enforces MISRA C:1998, MISRA C:2004, and MISRA C:2012 rules.

The MISRA C++ compliance module enforces MISRA C++:2008 rules.

Helix QAC identifies MISRA violations with greater accuracy than other tools. And it prioritizes violations based on severity, so you fix the most important issues first.

Make Compliance With CERT C and C++ Coding Standards Simple

The CERT coding rules identify security vulnerabilities in your code. The CERT C and C++ compliance modules flag code that violates these rules. This helps you eliminate undefined behaviors and apply best practices for secure code.

In addition, you’ll even get detailed guidance and examples to help you fix these errors.

To ensure that there are no defects in the code, you should also implement code review best practices. Done correctly, it will help to improve code quality.

How Perforce Static Code Analyzers Help Enforce IEC 62061 and ISO 13849 Compliance

The use of a coding standard to reduce the likelihood of errors is highly recommended for all Software Integrity Levels (SILs). You can enforce coding standards — such as MISRA and CERT — automatically. This significantly reduces the amount of time you need to spend performing manual code inspections and ensures that your code is safe, compliant, and reliable.

See how Perforce static code analyzers enforce compliance standards to ensure the functional safety of machinery control systems.

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