Fail safer alternatives to Arduino?

General project help for Adafruit customers

Moderators: adafruit_support_bill, adafruit

Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.
Locked
User avatar
Argel86
 
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2019 12:28 pm

Fail safer alternatives to Arduino?

Post by Argel86 »

I've heard that Arduino in sensitive applications like a door lock or driving a power wheelchair can fail in the long run. Is that something to be bothered about and what safer alternatives are there in that case? Is for example a Feather better regarding that aspect? I want the programming to be easy and maybe with bluetooth in built. Available in small form factor.

Kind regards,
Arash

User avatar
adafruit_support_bill
 
Posts: 88093
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 10:11 am

Re: Fail safer alternatives to Arduino?

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

Processor choice is only a small part of making a system fail-safe. It also has a lot to do with the quality of the code it is running and the circuitry it is connected to. There are ruggedized versions of the Arduino that are equipped with added protections for the I/O pins. For applications that will be subjected to extreme heat or cold, there are industrial, automotive and even military grade versions of the same microcontroller chips. But you still need to write fail-safe code for it and design fail-safe circuits for your locks and wheelchairs.

User avatar
Argel86
 
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2019 12:28 pm

Re: Fail safer alternatives to Arduino?

Post by Argel86 »

Thanks. I Googled a bit more and an internal watchdog seems to be a good first step. It will be used outdoors when, so no really extreme temperatures. I'll use a powerbank 5V so there's no risk of voltage spikes due to lightning. An Arduino should be quite safe with all the right precautions made, right?
/Arash

User avatar
adafruit_support_bill
 
Posts: 88093
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 10:11 am

Re: Fail safer alternatives to Arduino?

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

You're not dealing with critical systems like life-support, avionics or missile defense. So you don't need extreme solutions like triple-redundancy and nuclear hardening. What you do need to do is to think about the possible failure modes and their potential consequences.

For example, consider a power failure: When the system has no power, should the lock default to the locked position or the unlocked position? If it defaults to the locked position, do you need a manual override on the inside so that occupants can escape? (Note that answers may differ depending on whether this is for a residential property or a supermax prison!)

For outdoor use, you should consider the effects of thermal cycles and humidity on components and connections. Soldered or screw-terminal connections will be much more reliable than jumper wires plugged into Arduino headers.

Locked
Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.

Return to “General Project help”