Reliability testing in practice

In the early days of development of Jaguar´s XJ40, a key concern highlighted was the reliability of the electronic modules. Jaguar´s earlier experience on ECUs had not been good. This not only cost money, but caused poor customer satisfaction and poor reputation. Strategically, it was considered that this needed urgent attention. The author discusses the reliability target and the life test devised to simulate the 12 year life expectancy of the components. The author then goes on to discuss what the theoretical assumptions meant in practice and what was learned from the life tests. Correlation exercises and ongoing work are also discussed