Despite falling for decades, the World Health Organization reports that road traffic crashes globally still result in the deaths of more than 1.19 million people each year. Automotive technology has been identified as one important way to save lives and is projected to save more each year. In the US alone, a AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study found that advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) alone could prevent as many as 250,000 deaths and 37 million crashes between 2021 and 2050.
As widespread adoption of ADAS and semi-autonomous vehicles increases, automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers are demanding higher functional safety requirements from suppliers and system integrators to meet industry certification levels.
What do the safety standards mean?
The automotive industry follows stringent safety standards to ensure vehicles and all components are safe and reliable, notably the automotive software process improvement and capability determination (ASPICE) and ISO 26262.
The Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL), defined by the current ISO 26262:2018 standard, is especially critical. ASIL certifications determine the functional safety of road vehicles, categorizing how necessary safety measures are to mitigate risks associated with automotive systems, rated based on their potential to cause harm.
The ASIL framework has four levels: A to D, with A being the lowest risk of harm and D being the highest risk of harm. The classification identifies both the severity of potential injuries and the probability of their occurrence.
Systems classified at higher ASIL levels are subjected to more stringent safety requirements because of the increased potential impact on vehicle safety. For example, ASIL-C, which includes systems like adaptive cruise control, demands manufacturers undergo rigorous testing and validation to ensure that they meet the necessary safety standards.
Positioning at the highest safety standards
Trimble has secured multiple ASIL certifications across our automotive RTX solution, including Trimble ProPoint® Go precise positioning engine, which received the ISO 26262:2018 Automotive Safety Integrity Level-C (ASIL-C) certification. ProPoint Go is the first precise positioning engine to attain this level of certification.
ProPoint Go delivers centimeter-level precision for position, velocity and time. This is achieved by leveraging multi-frequency GNSS signals along with ASIL-B certified Trimble RTX correction data. It integrates precise, validated positioning technology into safety-critical applications, enhancing the safety and reliability of ADAS and autonomous vehicle operations.
Decoding data corrections with safety
Another element of the Trimble RTX system, the Certified RTX Client Library, serves as a crucial decoder integrated into the vehicle that enables the GNSS receiver within ADAS to decode RTX transmissions — a proprietary "unlock" that grants access to essential corrections.
This decoder is suitable for use in automotive embedded systems with a certified ASIL-B status, ensuring reliable, corrected data is always available.
Validating data integrity with reliability
The Certified RTX Post-Broadcast Integrity Module is ASIL-B certified and a final foundational component of the Trimble RTX system, acting as a comprehensive "integrity monitoring" mechanism. This system performs crucial checks and balances, validating the integrity of the corrections as they are broadcast to the system clients within a defined time-to-alert.
The Trimble integrity module ensures the highest levels of reliability and safety in data transmission within the RTX system.
Explore more compliance information
For automotive OEMs, the significance of adopting ASIL-certified technologies cannot be overstated. These certifications not only ensure compliance with industry safety standards but also provide a framework for assessing and mitigating risks associated with automotive systems. They also highlight the importance of selecting the right supplier partner that always has safety in mind, enabling trust in the partnership and peace of mind for drivers and pedestrians.
Learn more about Trimble advanced positioning solutions for automotive applications.
