Overview
IEC TR 63084:2017 - "Nuclear power plants - Instrumentation and control important to safety - Platform qualification for systems important to safety" provides an assessment framework and recommended activities for the pre-qualification of I&C platforms intended for safety-important nuclear applications. The Technical Report defines a transparent, repeatable approach to qualify hardware and software platforms independently of a specific plant design so that implementation teams can rely on a qualified platform for basic system functions and focus effort on application-specific functionality.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and objective: Pre‑qualification of I&C platforms (hardware + software components and representative architectures) for use in safety‑classified systems.
- Platform vs system: Clarifies the distinction between platform (reusable set of modules and services) and plant‑specific I&C system (application functions built on the platform).
- Qualification elements:
- Hardware modules (environmental, EMC, seismic considerations)
- Operational system software (real‑time OS and runtime services)
- Application software and tool chains
- Integration into representative systems for verification
- Methods of qualification: Uses a combination of analysis, type testing, and documented operational experience as primary means of equipment qualification (as cited in the report and related standards).
- Organisation and documentation: Defines roles of parties (vendors, owners, integrators, regulators), documentation needed for platform qualification, maintenance of qualification evidence, and lifecycle governance.
- Maintenance and lifecycle: Addresses how platform qualifications are preserved and updated across software/firmware revisions and long plant lifetimes.
- Transparency and efficiency: Encourages repeatable, auditable processes to enable reuse of platform qualification across projects and jurisdictions.
Practical applications
- Pre‑qualifying vendor I&C platforms for use in nuclear safety applications prior to project‑specific design work.
- Allowing plant owners and system integrators to concentrate on application logic, relying on a previously qualified platform for core safety functions.
- Supporting regulatory reviews and licensing by providing structured evidence of platform capability, environmental resilience, and software quality.
- Informing procurement, vendor assessment, and system architecture decisions for modernization and new builds.
Who should use this standard
- Nuclear I&C designers and system integrators
- Vendor product managers and QA teams for safety‑related platforms
- Plant owners/operators planning I&C projects or upgrades
- Regulatory bodies, licensing reviewers, and independent assessors
Related standards
Standards referenced as applicable for nuclear qualification include: IEC/IEEE 60780‑323, IEC 61513, IEC 60880, IEC 62138, IEC 62566, IEC 62671, and IEC 61226 - these provide complementary requirements for software, equipment, environmental and safety classification used alongside IEC TR 63084:2017.
Keywords: IEC TR 63084:2017, platform qualification, I&C platforms, nuclear power plants, instrumentation and control, safety qualification, type testing, documented operational experience.