In a fault-tolerant avionics architecture, redundancy is designed to do what?

• A. Increase the probability of multiple failures.
• B. Ensure that a failure of one component does not compromise overall system function.
• C. Allow all systems to fail without backup.
• D. Require all backups to be manually powered on during flight.

Answer: (B)

Redundancy in fault-tolerant avionics is about keeping the system operating even when something fails. The goal is that a failure of one component does not compromise overall system function because another independent channel or backup takes over automatically, ensuring continued safe operation. This is achieved with multiple parallel paths, diverse components, separate power and data links, and automatic switchover with voting logic so no single fault brings down the system.

That’s why the best answer is that redundancy is designed to prevent a single failure from compromising the whole system. It reduces risk by providing backups, not by increasing the chance of multiple failures, and backups are typically activated automatically rather than waiting for manual power-on.