Glossary · Change, versions and configuration
Evidence version
In functional safety and systems engineering, an evidence version is the version of the valid evidence state for requirements, tests, logs, claims and results. It records which set of evidence belongs to which system version.
- Verification
- Functional safety
- Technical documentation
In one sentence
An evidence version ties test results, logs and safety claims to the exact system state they were produced for, so outdated proof is not reused.
Example
After a light curtain firmware update in a robot cell, the integrator creates a new evidence version: the response time measurement is repeated, while the unchanged guard verification is carried over with a documented rationale.
How it applies
- Evidence: Every piece of safety evidence should name the system, software and parameter versions it was produced against. An evidence version collects these into one valid state.
- Change management: When the system changes, decide explicitly which evidence remains valid, which must be repeated and which is withdrawn. Record the rationale.
- Technical documentation: The technical file should reference the evidence version that supports the delivered configuration, not a mix of results from different builds.
- Integrated systems: Keep the evidence version aligned with the configuration baseline. A baseline without matching evidence is not ready for a release decision.
Evidence version vs. document revision
A document revision tracks edits to one document. An evidence version tracks the validity of a whole set of results, logs and claims relative to a system state. A test report can stay at revision A while it drops out of the current evidence version.