Circuit Model with Statistical Dependence

Guidelines are presented for structuring a reliability model where detailed failure modes are considered explicitly and where no assumption of statistical independence is made between the failure modes. An electronic circuit is considered. Part and interface characteristics, performance attribute and stress equations, and conditional reliability relationships are fitted together. Pertinent features are illustrated with examples. A composite reliability prediction equation in functional notation is presented. The required information is the same type which is used for separately treating detailed failure modes. However, this information needs to be accurate to warrant a model with statistical dependence, and this would be difficult. Numerical calculations are tedious and expensive, even where computerized. Experimental applications are necessary to determine if this detailed reliability prediction model has anything practical to offer.