WG 3 - TC 45/SC 45A/WG 3

IEC 61513:2026 provides requirements and recommendations for the overall I&C which may contain one or several of these technologies.
This document highlights also the need for complete and precise requirements, derived from the plant safety goals, as a pre-requisite for generating the comprehensive requirements for the overall I&C, and hence for the individual I&C systems important to safety.
This document introduces the concept of a safety lifecycle for the overall I&C including the I&C architecture, and a safety lifecycle for the individual systems. By this, it highlights the relations between the safety objectives of the NPP and the requirements for the architecture of the I&C systems important to safety, and the relations between the I&C architecture and the requirements of the individual systems important to safety.
Standards such as ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 provide an overarching concept of system life cycle provisions covering product-related processes as well business development. The scope of IEC 61513 refers to safety aspects and their demonstration and significantly deepens the considerations of ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 in this field.
The lifecycles illustrated in and followed by this document are not the only ones possible; other lifecycles can be followed, provided that the requirements stated in this document are satisfied.
This document applies to the I&C of new nuclear power plants as well as to I&C upgrading or back-fitting of existing plants.
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition, published in 2011. This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
- to align this document with the recent IAEA documents SSR-2/1 and SSG-39,
- to review the existing requirements and to update the terminology and definitions;
- to take account of, as far as possible, requirements associated with standards published or thoroughly revised since the second edition, IEC 62566, IEC 61226, IEC 62138, IEC 60987, IEC 63046 and IEC 63351;
- to incorporate the technical requirements related to I&C systems and equipment from IEC 61226:2020, Annex A.

IEC 63413:2026 provides guidance and establishes requirements for the qualification of I&C platforms, according to IEC nuclear standards, aimed to be used in nuclear applications important to safety. Qualification of an I&C platform (also called pre-qualification or generic qualification) is performed as a generic activity outside the framework of a plant-specific application project. Platform qualification aims to fulfil in an anticipated manner all requirements leading to an I&C platform fully suitable for the implementation of a plant-specific application project.
The platform qualification covers consequently all I&C platform specific aspects including hardware, software, HPD, engineering tools, environmental qualification, quality and the applied safety life cycle supporting these activities. Platform qualification also considers interaction of platform assemblies. This document applies to I&C platforms under development, as well as to pre-existing I&C platforms.
This document provides guidance on what is relevant to I&C platform qualification and what is relevant to the implementation of an I&C system design based on a qualified I&C platform.
The objective of this document is to identify those requirements that relate closely to an I&C platform qualification and aims to support a two-step approach for the licensing of I&C systems based on this I&C platform. If the complete qualification of an I&C system is performed in the framework of a plant-specific application, this document does not apply.

IEC 60987:2021 provides requirements and recommendations for the hardware aspects of I&C systems whatever the technology and applies for all safety classes in a graded manner (as defined by IEC 61513). The requirements defined within this document guide, in particular, the selection of pre-existing components, hardware aspects of system detailed design and implementation and equipment manufacturing.
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition published in 2007. This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
a) Title modified;
b) Take account of the fact that hardware requirements apply to all I&C technologies, including conventional hardwired equipment, programmable digital equipment or by using a combination of both types of equipment;
c) Align the standard with the new revisions of IAEA documents SSR-2/1, which include as far as possible an adaptation of the definitions;
d) Replace, as far as possible, the requirements associated with standards published since the edition 2.1, especially IEC 61513, IEC 60880, IEC 62138, IEC 62566 and IEC 62566‑2;
e) Review the existing requirements and update the terminology and definitions;
f) Extend the scope of the standard to all hardware (computerized and non-computerized) and to all safety classes 1, 2 and 3;
g) Complete, update the IEC and IAEA references and vocabulary;
h) Check possible impact of other IAEA requirements and recommendations considering extension of the scope of SC 45A;
i) Highlight the use of IEC 62566 and IEC 62566-2 for HPD development;
j) Introduce specific activities for pre-existing items (selection, acceptability and/or mitigation);
k) Introduce clearer requirements for electronic module-level design, manufacturing and control;
l) Complete reliability assessment methods;
m) Introduce requirements when using automated tests or control activities;
n) Complete description of manufacturing control activities (control process, assessment of manufactured equipment, preservation of products);
o) Define and ensure the inclusion of a graded approach for dealing with the 3 different classes of equipment and related requirements.

IEC 62566-2:2020 provides requirements for achieving highly reliable HDL-Programmed Devices (HPDs), for use in I&C systems of nuclear power plants performing functions of safety category B or C as defined by IEC 61226.
The programming of HPDs relies on Hardware Description Languages (HDL) and related software tools. They are typically based on blank Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) or similar micro-electronic technologies such as Programmable Logic Devices (PLD), Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs), etc. General purpose integrated circuits such as microprocessors are not HPDs.
This document provides requirements on:
a) a dedicated HPD life-cycle addressing each phase of the development of HPDs, including specification of requirements, design, implementation, integration and validation, as well as verification activities associated with each phase,
b) planning and complementary activities such as modification and production,
c) selection of pre-developed components. This includes micro-electronic technologies and Pre-Developed Blocks (PDBs),
d) tools used to design, implement and verify HPDs.

IEC 62138:2018 specifies requirements for the software of computer-based instrumentation and control (I&C) systems performing functions of safety category B or C as defined by IEC 61226. It complements IEC 60880 which provides requirements for the software of computer-based I&C systems performing functions of safety category A. It is consistent with, and complementary to, IEC 61513. Requirements that are not specific to software are deferred to IEC 61513. This new edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
- align the standard with standards published or revised since the first edition, in particular IEC 61513, IEC 60880, IEC 62645 and IEC 62671;
- merge two clauses in order to avoid repetitions of text;
- introduce requirements on traceability in consistency with IEC 61513;
- introduce new annexes.

IEC 61500:2018 establishes requirements for data communication which is used in systems performing category A functions in nuclear power plants. It covers also interface requirements for data communication of equipment performing category A functions with other systems including those performing category B and C functions and functions not important to safety. This document gives requirements for functions and properties of on-line plant data communication by reference to IEC 60880 and IEC 60987, produced within the framework of IEC 61513. It requires categorisation of the communication functions in accordance with IEC 61226. This new edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
- the changes introduced to previously referenced standards have been confirmed to apply;
- relevant newly published standards have been referenced;
- lessons learned from several industrial applications have been incorporated.

IEC TR 63084:2017(E) provides an assessment framework and activities for efficient and transparent qualification of I&C platforms for use in nuclear applications important to safety, according to nuclear standards and state of the art. The assessment aims at a pre-qualification of I&C platforms outside the framework of a specific plant design. Qualification is assumed to be pre-requisite for allowing the particular I&C platform to be used for implementation of the safety classified I&C system. It is to enable parties implementing particular plant specific I&C systems to concentrate on application functions, while for basic system functions to rely on platform qualification. Basic means of equipment qualification, as prescribed by the IEC/IEEE 60780-323, are through analysis, type testing and documented operational experience. Other documents applicable for qualification for nuclear use include IEC 61513, IEC 60880, IEC 62138, IEC 62566, IEC 62671 and IEC 61226.

This second, updated edition deals with electrical, thermal and loading characteristics of rotating anode X-ray tubes and X-ray tube assemblies intended for use in medical diagnosis, concerning their behaviour during and after energization.

Is applicable to computer-system hardware for systems of Class 1 and 2 (as defined by IEC 61513) in nuclear power plants. This new edition reflects recent developments in computer system hardware design, the use of pre-developed hardware and changes in terminology.

IEC 62566:2012 provides requirements for achieving highly reliable "HDL-Programmed Devices" (HPD), for use in I&C systems of nuclear power plants performing functions of safety category A as defined by IEC 61226. The programming of HPDs relies on Hardware Description Languages (HDL) and related software tools. They are typically based on blank FPGAs or similar micro-electronic technologies.

Instrumentation and control (I&C) systems important to safety may be implemented using conventional hard-wired equipment, computer-based (CB) equipment or by using a combination of both types of equipment (see Note 1). IEC 61513:2011 provides requirements and recommendations for the overall I&C architecture which may contain either or both technologies. The main technical changes with regard to the previous edition are as follows:
- alignment with the latest revisions of IAEA documents;
- alignment with new editions of IEC 60880, IEC 61226, IEC 62138, IEC 62340 and IEC 60987;
- alignment with significant advances of software engineering techniques;
- integration of requirements for staff training.

IEC 61500:2009 establishes requirements for data communication which is used in systems performing category A functions in nuclear power plants. It covers also interface requirements for data communication of equipment performing category A functions with other systems including those performing category B and C functions and functions not important to safety. This second edition is intended to accomplish the following:
- to change the focus from multiplexed data transmission to data communication;
- to restrict the scope to communication in systems performing category A functions.

Provides requirements for the software of computer-based instrumentation and control (I&C) systems of nuclear power plants performing functions of safety category A as defined by IEC 61226. Provides requirements for the purpose of achieving highly reliable software. Addresses each stage of software generation and documentation, including requirements specification, design, implementation, verification, validation and operation.

Provides requirements for the software of computer-based I&C systems performing functions of safety category B or C as defined by IEC 61226. Complements IEC 60880 and IEC 60880-2, which provide requirements for the software of computer-based I&C systems performing functions of safety category A. Is also consistent with, and complementary to, IEC 61513.