Is there software that includes diagnostics in an FMEA?

Jim Wynne

Staff member
Admin
#11
Marc said:
I agree that there is a flowdown aspect where priorities are necessary. That is, there are instances where not having a predessor completed can affect the subsequent FMEA. So far what I read is on track.

But I'm thinking we've somewhat lost track of the original question: "If the product has diagnostics which allow the failure to be annunciated, how is the effectiveness of the diagnostics documented in the FMEA?"

It might be good to have a few others comment rather than having a 2 person shootout.

EDIT ADD: I admit to being somewhat confused as to what the thread starter is asking. I do agree with the flow through RAHarpster has posted. I am also looking at JSW's response where he quotes "Failure Cause: System firmware code fails to detect (tbd) fault condition." It sorta seems like a Root Cause analysis which hasn't gone far enough.
We should also point out that the original post doesn't specify PFMEA or DFMEA; my assumption was the former, which partially accounts for the discussion between RAHarpster and me, as he assumed the latter, apparently.
 
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RAHarpster

#12
Software Design FMEA - Handling Diagnostics

Marc,

Hopefully, this is not a shootout but a discussion. This may sound stupid but even if we are completely misinterpreting the original question, I believe the discusion is a healthy one and very important one since it covers a topic that has come up multiple times over the 20 years I have been doing FMEAs.

In your response you state:

"But I'm thinking we've somewhat lost track of the original question: "If the product has diagnostics which allow the failure to be annunciated, how is the effectiveness of the diagnostics documented in the FMEA?"

If I assume that as a software engineer my job is to write the firmware that does the diagnostics, I believe a Design FMEA which does the following is a documentation of the effectiveness of the diagnostics:

1. states the requirements of the diagnostics;
2. identifies the code which delivers the performance;
3. identifies the method that will be used to assess the adequacy of the diagnostics code;
4. provides a probability rating indicating the effectiveness of the diagnostics code based on the assessment results.

Having said this the original question can be interpreted in so many different ways. Since the original question came from someone titled "Software Eng" I am assuming he or she is responsible for the design of the diagnostics.

If however, these diagnostics are on a processing line and the author is responsible for the processing line which uses the diagnostics the issue would be covered with a Process FMEA. Before I go into a discussion of how this is done, I am hoping that the original author chimes and gives us a little more clearification on thier original question.

Thanks for your response. I believe these types of discussions are very healthy as well as being fun.

Rich Harpster
Harpco Systems
 
M

Michael Walmsley

#13
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Hope this helps. I "think" this is what the others were trying to allude to.

"Fault Set" is the software diagnostic codes that are displayed in a ECU when system is queried.

"Prevention" column lists the fact that diagnostics are used (along with other means).

Both have impact on "Detection" rating.
 

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