• Obtain an initial indication of whether a design will be able to meet reliability objectives and identify potential problem areas early in development.
• Compare design alternatives and/or trade-off system design factors.
• Consider environmental and other stress factors that have a significant impact on system performance yet may otherwise be overlooked.

Reliability Prediction Analysis

Lambda Predict facilitates every step of the standards based reliability prediction analysis process, with user-friendly capabilities designed to make it easy for you to:

• Build the system configuration (“from scratch” or by importing data from “Bill of Materials” files, predefined part libraries or other outside sources).
• Define component characteristics and operating conditions, with the choice of two different “Views” to facilitate data entry.
• Calculate results (Pi Factors, Failure Rates, MTBFs, etc.) at any level within the configuration.
• Use graphical plots/charts to visualize and present analysis results.
• Generate print-ready reports to support decision-making and disseminate knowledge.

MIL-HDBK-217F

Reliability Prediction of Electronic Equipment (MIL-HDBK-217F), issued by the US Department of Defense in December, 1991. This standard provides reliability prediction models for electronic components in commercial and military applications.

• Support for Both Part Stress and Parts Count Analyses
• Ability to Define Custom Connections
• Non-Operational Failure Rates

Bellcore/Telcordia

The Bellcore/Telcordia standards (Reliability Prediction Procedure for Electronic Equipment) provide reliability prediction models for electronic components in commercial applications. Lambda Predict supports four versions of the standard, including:

• SR-332 Issue 3 (Telcordia Technologies, 2011)
• SR-332 Issue 2 (Telcordia Technologies, 2006)
• SR-332 Issue 1 (Telcordia Technologies, 2001)
• TR-332 Issue 6 (Bell Communications Research, 1997)

These standards provide a choice of three methods for calculating the steady-state failure rate. Method I (also known as the Black Boxmethod) uses the generic failure rates defined by the Bellcore/Telcordia standards and the pi factors. Method II allows you to supplement the black box calculations with real data that you’ve obtained from testing, while Method III considers real data obtained from an identical or similar item operating in the field.

FIDES

The FIDES Guide 2009 (UTE-C 80811) was updated in 2009 by a consortium of leading French international aeronautical and defense companies, under the supervision of the DGA (Délégation Générale pour l’Armenent – French Ministry of Defense). It offers a reliability prediction methodology based on physics of failure, and provides failure rate models for electrical, electronic and electromagnetic components, as well as for commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) board assemblies.

Lambda Predict provides full support for defining different operating phases (life profile). The software also guides you through the pi factor assessments recommended by the standard and makes it easy to reuse supplier/process evaluations when applicable. 

NSWC Mechanical

The Handbook of Reliability Prediction Procedures for Mechanical Equipment, issued by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, provides reliability prediction models for mechanical components, such as seals, springs, pumps, valves, brakes and more. Lambda Predict supports both the NSWC-07 and NSWC-11 versions of the standard. 

Siemens SN 29500

Siemens SN 29500 is a reliability prediction standard created by Siemens based on IEC 61709. It provides failure rate information at typical reference conditions for electronic and electromechanical components. It also provides stress models that can be used to convert the failure rate to various operating conditions that differ from the reference condition failure rates provided.

Data Management via Import/Export or Copy/Paste

Lambda Predict stores your analysis information in a relational database, which makes it possible for you to take advantage of many useful data management capabilities. The software provides a flexible tool for finding and reusing data from existing analyses or libraries. You also have the option to easily duplicate or transfer data using import/export or copy/paste.

Calculated Results, Plots and Reports

Complete Array of Calculated Results: Failure rates, MTBFs and other calculated results are displayed directly in the system hierarchy. You can choose which columns will be displayed at any given time, and also use the Highlights feature to use red, yellow and green background colors to make it easy to see how the component’s failure rate contributes to the overall failure calculated for the system or assembly.

You can use the Pi Factors View to see how the component properties contribute to the pi factors in the failure rate model, and use the Calculation Information window to see a report of the pi factors and failure rate calculation for any selected component.

Graphical Plots and Charts: Lambda Predict provides a complete array of plots and charts to demonstrate your analysis graphically. This includes plots for Failure Rate, MTBF, Mission Time and Unreliability.

Plot Setup gives you full control over the display settings and all plot graphics can be saved as *.jpg, *.gif, *.png or *.wmf files and inserted into other reports and presentations.

The Saved Plots feature provides the ability to save the plot with the project.

Template-Based Reports: For maximum flexibility, Lambda Predict offers template-based reports to present and disseminate the results of your predictions. A basic report template is provided for each reliability prediction standard that is included with your license. You can customize the appearance of these predefined report templates, and also manage and build your own custom report templates. Reports can be generated in Microsoft Word® and/or Excel®.

Prepared Component Libraries and PartLibraries.org

All Lambda Predict users receive free access to the integrated circuit (IC) component definitions published in MIL-M-38510, the electronic component failure rates published in EPRD-97 (Electronic Parts Reliability Data) and the mechanical, electrical and electromechanical component failure rates published in NPRD-95 (Nonelectronic Parts Reliability Data).

In addition, if you want access to more than 300,000 commercial components with reliability prediction parameters predefined based on the published manufacturer spec sheets, you can purchase a yearly subscription to PartLibraries.org that offers unlimited access to the full parts data repository.

The flexible Search PartLibraries.org utility makes it easy to search by category, part number, supplier, part name and/or part description.

Derating Analysis

Derating analysis helps with the selection of parts and materials so that the applied stress is less than rated for a specific application.

When you are working with a MIL-217, Bellcore/Telcordia or FIDES prediction, you can select from the available published derating standards or define your own. The software provides visual indicators within the system configuration to show each component’s derating status and also makes it easy to view the derating curves.

The available derating standards are:

• NAVSEA-TE000-AB-GTP-010 issued by the Naval Sea Systems Command in March 1991.
• MIL-STD-975M (NASA) issued by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1994.
• MIL-STD-1547 issued by the US Department of Defense in November 1998.
• Naval Air System Command AS-4613 issued by the US Naval Air Systems Command in 1976.
• ECSS-Q-30-11-A issued by the European Cooperation for Space Standardization in April 2006.

Reliability Allocation

Lambda Predict’s Allocation utility provides a choice of five allocation models that can be used to logically apportion the product design reliability into lower level design criteria such that the cumulative reliability still meets the requirements. The available allocation models are:

• Equal Allocation
• AGREE Allocation
• Feasibility of Objectives Allocation
• ARINC Apportionment Technique
• Repairable Systems Allocation

PartLibraries.org

PartLibraries.org will now be included as part of the Lambda Predict.

What Is PartLibraries.org?

PartLibraries.org is a website portal for the collection and dissemination of component data for use in standard based reliability predictions and other reliability analyses. When used correctly, these libraries can help to save time and improve the accuracy of your reliability prediction analyses.

This resource is currently available exclusively to users of ReliaSoft Lambda Predict software, which provides a specialized interface that makes it easy to find and import the information you need. You can search by category, part number, supplier, part name and/or part description. The results provide the reliability prediction parameters required by the standard or the component failure rate. When applicable, the portal also provides additional details obtained from the manufacturer’s spec sheet, which can be a useful additional tool when selecting components for a new design. (For full functionality, requires Lambda Predict 3.0.4 or higher.)

All Lambda Predict users receive free access to the integrated circuit (IC) component definitions published in MIL-M-38510, the electronic component failure rates published in EPRD-97 (Electronic Parts Reliability Data) and the mechanical, electrical and electromechanical component failure rates published in NPRD-95 (Nonelectronic Parts Reliability Data). In addition, you can access more than 300,000 commercial components with reliability prediction parameters predefined based on the published manufacturer spec sheets.