Consider ASICs for implementing functional safety in battery-powered home appliances

By Enrique Martinez, Ensilica
EDN (February 10, 2021)

Recent advances in battery technologies, coupled with environmental and energy efficiency initiatives, have accelerated a move toward many household appliances going cordless. While the removal of the mains supply gives users better protection against electric shock, risk is not mitigated completely, and therefore, functional safety still needs to be a core tenet of a system’s design.

This article looks at how functional safety can be applied in home appliances, and examines the economic tipping point of taking an ASIC vs. discrete component route to do so.

Recent developments and enhancements of safety standards and legislation aimed at home appliances include IEC 60335 for attended-use devices, IEC 60730 for un-attended use, and UL 1642 for Li-ion batteries. These standards not only highlight the growing importance for these devices to adhere to the fundamental principles of protecting people and property against dangers and damage, but also bring them in line with industrial, automotive, medical, and aerospace systems, where functional safety has always been a hot topic.

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