Analyzing interconnection design safety using bent pin analysis

Low-tech hazards can cause catastrophic results in safety-critical and other systems. Designers sometimes fail to give adequate consideration to hazards in low-tech areas such as electrical interconnection designs, particularly when different design teams develop the subsystems on opposite ends of the interconnections. A good approach to addressing these hazards is a structured bent pin analysis that considers real-world conditions. This analysis can be applied to interconnection designs to adequately assess their failure modes and consequences. While much of the analysis can be automated to incorporate real-world conditions and produce accurate results, the human analyst must be aware that certain names or labels assigned by designers in their drawings may be misleading and present possible risks. The analyst must understand these risks when performing the analysis because they will affect its conclusions.