“Dependability characteristics and safety criteria for an embedded distributed brake control system in railway freight trains”

Abstract
This paper provides a general discussion on the subject of distributed computer control for safety critical train applications. As computer technology evolves it brings new opportunities to achieve a higher degree of efficiency and safety. One of the keys to all these benefits is a dependable computer based control system. Dependable computer systems have been essential components in; for example, aircraft control systems for many years. Thus, required techniques and methods for building such systems are well understood. The important differences in train applications are mainly economical which brings us the challenging question: how do we design and manufacture dependable train control systems in a way so that they become attractive as standard components in future railway vehicles? The objective of this paper is to investigate the fundamentals for distributed safety critical computer control in trains and establish the prerequisites for these systems.