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Database for Reliability Calculations

Objective

To create a facility which consists of: a central database (containing information from defect reports on selected current and advanced electronic components), tools and procedures for carrying out reliability estimates on IBC equipment. The facility is to be resident within a user friendly environment accessible throughout the European Community.
The main objectives of the project are to create a facility which consists of a central database (containing information from defect reports on selected current and advanced electronic components), tools and procedures for carrying out reliability estimates on integrated broadband communications (IBC) equipment. The facility is to be resident within a user friendly environment accessible throughout the European Community. The project has completed a survey of user needs. The number of responses has been large, clearly indicating a need for reliability prediction tools and for standards in this area. The user needs survey has allowed contacts to be made with European Electrotechnical Standardisation Organisation Electronic Components Committee (CECC) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) as well as a number of other standards bodies and interest groups. A survey of existing methods and data has been completed. This has indicated that here is a wide range of opinions about reliability prediction. The survey raised a number of questions about the structure of the database. These questions were resolved in a consensus meeting held within the project. The key issues which have been faced relate to data collection and analysis. One track concentrated on the data itself and analysis methods, the other track considered the software and hardware requirements of the facility. A major task in the collection of data is contacting potential data providers. Partners have noted that a wide range of approaches are used for this, some of which have proved unable to provide all the necessary information. The impact on standards of data collection deliverables produced by the project should be significant.
Technical Approach

The needs of potential users are being established. Existing data and failure rate prediction methods are being reviewed. A specification for the data to be collected, analysis tools and presentation to the user is being developed. Following on from this, the facility will be designed and developed, and tested. The project will collect information of new and existing electronic components, after 'quality checks' this data will be loaded onto the database. In this phase of the project, data will be gathered on those components that are identified as most required by the user needs survey. The data will be analysed to produce working reliability estimates for access by users.

Key Issues
. Agreement on a comprehensive set of user needs.
. Availability of data that will allow user needs to be met.
. Data collection and analysis.
. Creation of a pan-European component reliability database.

Achievements
The project has completed a survey of user needs. The number of responses has been large, clearly indicating a need for reliability prediction tools and for standards in this area. The user needs survey has allowed contacts to be made with CECC and IEC as well as a number of other standards bodies and interest groups.

A survey of existing methods and data has been completed. This has indicated that there is a wide range of opinions about reliability prediction. The survey raised a number of questions about the structure of the database; these questions were resolved in a consensus meeting held within the project.

In 1991, the key issues which have been faced relate to data collection and analysis. One track concentrated on the data itself and analysis methods, the other track considered the software and hardware requirements of the facility.

A major task in the collection of data is contacting potential data providers. Partners have noted that a wide range of approaches are used for this, some of which have proved unable to provide the all the necessary information. The impact on standards of data collection deliverables produced by the project should be significant.

The database specification is now available. Work on data integrity and validation procedures is reaching an advanced stage.

Expected Impact
There are a number of approaches to reliability prediction and the lack of a standard in European telecommunications equipment. This project will provide a basis for collection of a common set of data appropriate to European telecommunications and, as such, a key input to life cycle cost models.

Topic(s)

Data not available

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

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Coordinator

British Telecom plc (BT)
EU contribution
No data
Address
310 Bordesley Green
B9 5NF Birmingham
United Kingdom

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Total cost
No data

Participants (7)