Nuclear power plants - Instrumentation and control systems important to safety - Development of HDL-programmed integrated circuits - Part 2: HDL-programmed integrated circuits for systems performing category B or C functions

IEC 62566-2:2020 provides requirements for achieving highly reliable HDL-Programmed Devices (HPDs), for use in I&C systems of nuclear power plants performing functions of safety category B or C as defined by IEC 61226.

The programming of HPDs relies on Hardware Description Languages (HDL) and related software tools. They are typically based on blank Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) or similar micro-electronic technologies such as Programmable Logic Devices (PLD), Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs), etc. General purpose integrated circuits such as microprocessors are not HPDs.

This document provides requirements on:

a) a dedicated HPD life-cycle addressing each phase of the development of HPDs, including specification of requirements, design, implementation, integration and validation, as well as verification activities associated with each phase,

b) planning and complementary activities such as modification and production,

c) selection of pre-developed components. This includes micro-electronic technologies and Pre-Developed Blocks (PDBs),

d) tools used to design, implement and verify HPDs.