Resources Hub
Curated standards, tools, templates, and learning materials for engineering professionals.
IEC 61508 — Functional Safety of E/E/PE Systems
The foundational standard for functional safety covering the entire lifecycle. Defines SIL levels, safety functions, and verification/validation requirements.
IEC 61511 — Safety Instrumented Systems for Process Industries
Process-sector application of IEC 61508. Covers SIS design, SIL determination (LOPA), proof testing, and management of functional safety.
ISA 84 (ANSI/ISA-84.00.01) — SIS for Process Industries
The US national adoption of IEC 61511 with additional guidance and technical reports for North American process plants.
IEC 62443 — Industrial Cybersecurity
Comprehensive framework for securing industrial automation and control systems (IACS). Defines security levels, zones, conduits, and lifecycle requirements.
API 556 — Instrumentation, Control, and Protective Systems for Gas Fired Heaters
Guidelines for burner management systems (BMS), flame detection, fuel valve trains, and SIL-rated protective functions.
NFPA 85 — Boiler and Combustion Systems Hazards Code
Requirements for prevention of explosions in boilers, HRSGs, and pulverized fuel systems. Covers purge logic, trip systems, and interlocks.
ISO 26262 — Road Vehicles Functional Safety
Automotive functional safety standard. Defines ASIL levels, hardware/software development processes, and safety validation for road vehicles.
OpenSIL — Open-Source SIL Verification Tool
Free SIL verification calculator supporting 1oo1, 1oo2, 2oo3 architectures. Computes PFDavg, PFH, spurious trip rate, and diagnostic coverage metrics.
GNU Octave — Free MATLAB Alternative
Open-source numerical computing environment compatible with MATLAB syntax. Useful for reliability calculations, Monte Carlo simulations, and data analysis.
OpenPLC — Open-Source PLC Runtime & Editor
IEC 61131-3 compliant PLC programming environment. Supports Ladder Diagram, Structured Text, and Function Block Diagram for education and prototyping.
Scilab — Open-Source Computation Platform
Numerical computation software for engineering and scientific applications. Includes Xcos for dynamic systems modeling and simulation.
PHA Pro / HAZOP Study Tools
Process hazard analysis tools for HAZOP, What-If, FMEA studies. Various commercial and open-source options available for risk assessment.
Isograph Reliability Workbench
Industry-standard tool for fault tree analysis, reliability block diagrams, Markov analysis, and SIL verification calculations.
Safety Requirements Specification (SRS) Template
Comprehensive SRS template following IEC 61511 Clause 12. Covers safe states, process safety time, SIF definitions, and proof test requirements.
SIL Verification Checklist
Step-by-step checklist for verifying SIL targets: architecture constraints, hardware fault tolerance, systematic capability, and PFDavg calculations.
HAZOP Worksheet Template
Standard HAZOP recording template with guide words, deviations, causes, consequences, safeguards, and recommendation columns.
P&ID Symbol Library (ISA 5.1)
Standard instrumentation and process symbols per ISA 5.1. Covers valves, instruments, controllers, lines, and equipment notation.
LOPA Worksheet Template
Layer of Protection Analysis worksheet for SIL determination. Includes initiating event frequency, IPL credits, target mitigated event likelihood.
Safety Integrity Level Selection — Edward Marszal
Definitive textbook on SIL selection methods: risk graph, risk matrix, LOPA, and calibrated risk graph. Essential for functional safety engineers.
Safety Instrumented Systems Design — Paul Gruhn & Harry Cheddie
Practical guide to SIS design, covering sensor selection, logic solver configuration, final elements, and common cause failures.
AIChE CCPS — Center for Chemical Process Safety
Extensive free and paid resources on process safety management, inherently safer design, and risk-based decision making from AIChE.
exida Webinars & White Papers
Free webinars and technical papers on functional safety, cybersecurity, alarm management, and SIL verification from industry experts.
ISA Training — Safety Instrumented Systems Courses
Professional development courses covering SIS lifecycle, SIL verification, HAZOP facilitation, and IEC 61511 compliance from ISA.
TUV Functional Safety Engineer Certification
Globally recognized certification for functional safety engineers. Covers IEC 61508, IEC 61511, and sector-specific standards with exam preparation.
NASA-STD-5001 — Structural Design & Test Factors of Safety
NASA standard for structural design requirements including factors of safety for crewed and uncrewed space systems, proof testing, and qualification testing.
ECSS-E-ST-10C — Space Engineering: System Engineering
European Cooperation for Space Standardization systems engineering standard. Covers the full lifecycle from requirements to V&V for space projects.
ECSS-Q-ST-30C — Space Product Assurance: Dependability
ECSS dependability standard covering reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety (RAMS) for space systems. Includes FMECA and fault tree requirements.
NASA-HDBK-4002 — Avoiding Problems Caused by Spacecraft On-Orbit Charging
NASA handbook on spacecraft charging from the space plasma environment. Covers surface and internal charging, design guidelines, and testing requirements.
CCSDS — Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems
International standards for space communications and data systems including packet telemetry, telecommand, Space Link Extension (SLE), and CFDP protocols.
NASA Systems Engineering Handbook (SP-2016-6105 Rev 2)
Comprehensive NASA guide to systems engineering processes, methods, and best practices for space missions. Covers the full SE lifecycle with worked examples.
GMAT — General Mission Analysis Tool
NASA open-source mission design tool for trajectory optimization, orbit determination, and mission planning. Supports interplanetary missions and formation flying.
Celestia — Real-Time 3D Space Visualization
Free space simulation that lets you explore the universe in three dimensions. Useful for orbit visualization, mission planning concepts, and education.
OpenRocket — Rocket Simulation Software
Free open-source model rocket simulator with 6-DOF flight simulation, aerodynamic analysis, and motor database. Useful for launch vehicle education.
NASA Worldview — Earth Observation Imagery
Interactive browser for full-resolution satellite imagery from NASA missions. Supports time-series visualization and data download for Earth observation.
SPENVIS — Space Environment Information System
ESA web tool for modeling the space environment: trapped radiation, solar particle events, cosmic rays, debris flux, and atmospheric models for any orbit.
Mission Requirements Document Template
Template for defining top-level mission requirements including performance, orbit, lifetime, mass, power budgets, and success criteria per NASA/ECSS format.
Satellite Link Budget Calculator Template
Spreadsheet template for end-to-end satellite communication link budget analysis. Covers EIRP, free space loss, atmospheric attenuation, G/T, and link margin.
Mass & Power Budget Templates
Spacecraft mass and power budget tracking templates with contingency allocation, growth factors, and subsystem breakdown per ECSS and NASA conventions.
Space FMECA Worksheet Template
Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis template tailored for space hardware per ECSS-Q-ST-30-02C. Includes severity/probability matrices.
Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students — Howard Curtis
Premier textbook on orbital mechanics covering two-body problem, orbital maneuvers, interplanetary trajectories, and spacecraft attitude dynamics with worked examples.
NASA APPEL Knowledge Services — Online Training
Free online courses from NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership covering systems engineering, project management, and technical leadership.
ESA Academy — Training & Education
European Space Agency educational programs including CubeSat projects, training sessions, and workshops for university students and young professionals.
MIT OCW — Astrodynamics (16.346)
Free MIT course materials on astrodynamics covering Keplerian motion, Lambert problem, orbit determination, and interplanetary mission design.
Space Mission Engineering: The New SMAD — Wertz, Everett & Puschell
The definitive space mission design reference (successor to SMAD). Covers mission architecture, orbit selection, payload design, cost modeling, and all spacecraft subsystems.