Due to the growing use of software in many different industrial devices, nuclear I&C engineers need tobe careful when choosing non safety related (1E) products to purchase, commercially dedicate, and usein safety related applications. When choosing devices to commercially qualify, the nuclear I&Cengineer needs to be aware what devices have software, and if they do then what tests or analysisneeds to be performed at a minimum. Knowing whether a device has software can be somewhatchallenging and discussion with the vendor or perhaps even the vendor’s vendor may be necessary todiscover what software, if any, is installed. The nuclear I&C engineer involved in commercialdedication will need to be knowledgeable of integrated circuits, ASICs, FPGAs and how these relate towhether a device does or does not contain software. This concern of not understanding whethersoftware is installed in a device being commercially dedicated is of course magnified because as morenuclear construction begins to happen, along with the shrunken supply of safety related vendors, it willrequire more commercial dedication to occur.
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