10 interview questions and answers on Automotive Functional Safety

Here’s a list of questions and answers about the Automotive Functional Safety. This guide can help you prepare for job interviews for Automotive Functional Safety skill based requirements.

List of 10 Automotive Functional Safety Questions and Answers

Question 1: What is ISO 26262?

Answer 1: It’s an international standard for functional safety of electrical/electronic systems in vehicles, ensuring reduced risk of failure.

Question 2: What does ASIL stand for?

Answer 2: ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) classifies risk from A (lowest) to D (highest) based on severity, exposure, and controllability.

Question 3: Why is ISO 26262 important?

Answer 3: It helps prevent hazardous failures in automotive systems, particularly in safety critical functions like braking or steering.

Question 4: What is the V-model in ISO 26262?

Answer 4: It’s a development model mapping system design to verification, promoting safety at each phase from concept to testing.

Question 5: How is functional safety different from cybersecurity?

Answer 5: Functional safety protects against unintentional failures; cybersecurity guards against intentional attacks.

Question 6: What is a safety goal?

Answer 6: A top level safety requirement to avoid unacceptable risk, derived from hazard analysis.

Question 7: Mention difference between ASIL A and ASIL D.

Answer 7: ASIL D requires more stringent development practices than ASIL A due to higher associated risks.

Question 8: What is a safety mechanism?

Answer 8: A feature or process that detects and mitigates faults, like a watchdog timer in embedded systems.

Question 9: What tools are used in ISO 26262 compliance?

Answer 9: Tools like ANSYS Medini, Vector and IBM Rational help model, test and validate safety.

Question 10: Is ISO 26262 mandatory?

Answer 10: While not legally mandatory, it is widely adopted across OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers for liability and market access.