Automated sneak identification

Abstract

Sneak circuit analysis is an important design analysis method for detecting unexpected interactions between different parts of an electrical circuit design. It demands a great deal of effort from an engineer, and is also error-prone. A method for the automation of sneak circuit analysis is described. It uses qualitative reasoning and knowledge about which functions are expected to be active in the circuit, in order to identify potential sneak paths in a circuit. The method has been implemented in software and deployed at several automotive engineering design centres. An example run of the software is shown. It is able to import circuits from a standard electrical computer aided design tool, and so demands very little work of the engineer. The time savings through use of the system are estimated to be several orders of magnitude as well as ensuring a thorough exploration of all possible interactions. The possibility of extending this method to cover the circuitry of a complete car at once is addressed, as are the implications of having not just one such tool, but a toolbox of automated design analysis tools.