Live Car Safety Standards
- Jack Rubacha
GLVMS: The switch to turn on the low voltage of the car
TSMS: The switch to turn on high voltage of the car
IMD: The devie which monitors insulation between the HV and the car chassis (GND)
BSPD: The device which monitors if brake is pressed in conjunction with the acceleration of the car
ESO: Electrical safety officer
This document outlines safety standards firmware members need to adhere to when working on a car which has the ability to become live, both with low voltage and high voltage.
Safety scenarios
Scenario: code is not behaving or anything irregular or possibly unsafe is occuring
Action: hit either of the side BRBs mounted on either side of the roll hoop of the car.
Scenario: the IMD fault comes on.
Action: Step away from the car, advise all others near car to do so. Alert ESO as to the issue. If a driver is in the car, advise them to not touch any metal on the chassis, and remain in the car.
Scenario: the BSPD fault comes on.
Action: Alert a driver as to the meaning of the fault and reset the car.
Scenario: The BMS fault comes on.
Action: Read the fault code in Argos, determine next steps. It may be safe to restart drive. Ensure no voltages read 1.5 or the overflow bit has not flagged.
Scenario: The MPU fault comes on.
Action: Read the fault code in Argos, determine next steps. It may be safe to restart drive.
can LV be turned on?
Who: Only leads and above can turn on LV.
When: LV can be turned on when a visual inspection is done of the wiring, cooling, and battery box, and it is found nobody is working near wires, the radiator, or cooling loop.
The individual who turned LV on must remain in the room with the car or explicitly hand off control to someone else on the electrical team. The individual must monitor MPU/Sense/Voltage to ensure the LV battery voltage does not go below 24V.
can HV be turned on?
Who: Only heads of the electrical team and above can turn on HV (or give verbal consent for a lead to turn it on).
When: Nobody is working near or around the car. The drivetrain team has given explicit approval that the transmission can spin. Everybody in the room is wearing safety glasses and nobody is standing directly behind the car. The, car, if not in a drive envrionment, must be on 4 point jacks or back blocks with proper slide barrier in front of the car.
The individual who turned on HV must remain near the BRB at all times. The individual must monitor HV voltage of the car with the TSMP when applicable, and monitor all faults.