Upgrade History

In this section you can find complete information about the version history of RadICS platform public releases.

(List of Upgrades)

Phase 1

The main task of this phase was to make sure that approaches and principles to achieve the product-specific criteria that was given in the main documents - Product Concept Document (PCD), Safety Requirements Specification (SRS) and Product Architecture Description (PAD) – were chosen correctly. The application logic was created using the IDE provided by Altera Safety Package. At this stage, the RadICS platform consisting of LM, DIM, DOM, AIM was certified for compliance with the requirements of IEC 61508-2010 (Parts 1-7).

Phase 2a

The main task of this phase was to add a new module that was designed to measure the neutron flux (AIFM). The application logic was created using the IDE provided by Altera Safety Package. As a result of the actions carried out in phase 2, the IEC 61508:2010 SIL 3 certificate for the RadICS platform covering the LM, DIM, DOM, AIM was updated to include the AIFM (Parts 1-7).

Phase 2b

During this phase, two new modules were added to the platform: AOM (analog output module) and OCM (optical communication module). Also the designers added the possibility of building multichassis safety systems on the platform basis. The application logic was created using the IDE provided by Altera Safety Package. At this stage, the IEC 61508:2010 SIL 3 certificate for the RadICS platform was updated to cover all the modules: LM, DIM, DOM, AIM, AIFM, AOM and OCM.

Phase 3

The RadICS platform has now been supplemented in Phase 3 by the proprietary toolset Radiy Platform Configuration Tool (RPCT).  RPCT provides a complete IDE so End Users are able to create safety system logic and hardware configuration on a convenient graphic platform. The IDE allows the user to define his control or safety logic, incorporate platform diagnostics in his logic, define signals that can be tuned online, and configure both the tuning station and the non-interfering monitoring system. The user’s control or safety logic is designed using the certified function block library.

All 3 phases of RadICS are based on 3 unchanged concepts: firstly, RadICS is structured physically like a safety PLC, with a Logic Module (LM) and 14 slots which can be populated with any of the I/O modules or an optical communications module which allows for expansion to 3 levels of chassis. Secondly, RadICS is completely implemented using FPGAs – there are no micro-processors. This provides exceptional speed (10 ms guaranteed cycle time), inherently good immunity against cyber security since it is impossible to reconfigure the FPGAs remotely and the elimination of the need for any complex operating system.  The third  fundamental concept is separation of platform logic and User Application Logic (UAL), which provides stability of the platform no matter what the application is.

During Certification Phases 1 and 2, the UAL was implemented for the End-User using Quartus II software from Altera. In Phase 3, the IDE toolset RPCT has been added and integrated as the design tool for the UAL. This provides a complete state-of the-art user-friendly package so the End-User can cost-effectively design his own UAL. This UAL is stored outside FPGA and there is no need  to recompile FPGA project each time the UAL has been changed. The End-User’s UAL is designed in RPCT using the certified Function Block Library, consisting of over 80 fundamental blocks and allowing the End-User to define reusable composite blocks. The composition of the platform modules has no changes.