578 World Abstracts on Microelectronics and Reliability

system reliability and availability equations are developed. programming, nonlinear integer programming, and
In addition, steady-state availability and mean-time- nonlinear mixed integer programming problems. The
between-failures expressions are developed. The special case algorithm contains a new technique for generating a
when n = 2 is discussed numerically. succession of vector values of surrogate multiplier (i.e.
surrogate problems). By using this technique, a computer can
Software reliability analysis based on a nonhomogeneous error keep a polyhedron, which is a vector space of surrogatc
detection rate model SmGERU YAMADA,HIROYUKI NARIHISA multipliers to be considered at a certain time, in its memory.
and HmosHl OHTERA. Microelectron. Reliab. 24 (5) 915 Furthermore it can cut the polyhedron by a given
(1984). A software reliability growth model discussed here hyperplane, and produce the remaining space as the next
assumes a nonhomogeneous error detection rate per error polyhedron. Simple examples are included.
which characterizes a software reliability growth process
during the testing phase. The methods for software reliability
assessment are reviewed, and the model fitting and software SYSREL: reliability of complex redundant systems. J. T.
reliability analysis for some software error data sets are LAPOINTE and A. M. FORRY. Proc. a. Reliab. Maintainab.
presented. The optimum software release times are also given Syrup. 63 (1985). Determining the Mean-Time-Between-
for the data analysis results. Failure (MTBF) for highly redundant systems is an
extremely tedious, if not mathematically difficult process.
Combined hurdware/softwure reliability predictions. EUGENE These systems are typically characterized by hierarchical
FIO~NTINO and EDWARD C. SOISTMAN. Proc. a. Reliab. application of nonidentical component (k of n) reliability
Maintainab. Syrup. 169 (1985). System reliability calculations. Multiple levels in the hierarchy and large values
characterization and prediction techniques, which of k and n make this calculation nearly intractable. A
incorporate the combined effects of both hardware and computer-aided technique to solve this class of problems is
software components and which reflect frequency of total investigated.
system failures during mission or operating time, are needed A deterministic combinatorial approach for predicting the
by Air Force Systems planners and project officers. reliability of complex redundant systems is presented. The
Unfortunately, techniques of this type do not exist at this approach avoids the need for sophisticated Markovian or
time. Monte Carlo techniques and permits rapid evaluation of
This paper summarizes the activities and results of a study design and maintenance alternatives with minimal project
performed by Martin Marietta for the Rome Air resources. The overall approach involves modeling the
Development Center. The purpose of the study was to system hierarchy and redundancy information by an
develop characterization techniques for predicting total indexing scheme based on reliability block diagrams. This
system reliability and to develop a methodology which can scheme has proved to be simple and intuitive. Component
be used by system reliability engineers early in the reliabilities based on component failure rates and the
design/development stages to evaluate various design exponential distribution are aggregated into nonidentical (k
approaches and alternatives against system quantitative of n) group reliabilities by resource-conserving matrix
techniques. Group calculations are performed recursively
reliability requirements.
Since hardware reliability techniques have been well until the total system reliability has been determined. System
developed, the study concentrated primarily on the and group MTBFs are calculated by efficient numerical
prediction of system software reliability which is defined integration techniques. A technique for adjusting system
reliability to account for operational and maintenance
herein as follows:
System Software Reliability--The probability that the profiles which restores lost redundancy is presented.
required software will perform its intended functions for the A prototype program called SYSREL has been developed
prescribed missions and time periods in the specified and tested for a VAX 11/780. A sample system is evaluated
operating environment, without causing system outages or using SYSREL. The hypothetical sample case was
failures. specifically designed to illustrate the analytical difficulty in
The approach taken during this effort involved the tackling many complex redundant systems. SYSREL results
performance of several interrelated subtasks including a are presented for several design modifications and
literature search, a two-pass survey, and the development of maintenance policies.
the system prediction methodology.
Computer aided stress analysis of digital circuits. MICHAELW.
On Murkov maintenance problems. YUKIO HATOYAMA.IEEE BANNAN and JAMES M. BANGHART. Proc. a. Reliab.
Trans. Reliab. R-33 (4) 280 (October 1984). The applicability Maintainab. Syrup. 217 (1985). A computer aid to the
of Markov maintenance models is crucial. We need to fill the performance of a digital circuit stress analysis has been
gap between theoretical and practical maintenance developed and is designed such that a clerk may input circuit
problems. A model is proposed for that purpose. interconnection data directly from a schematic with little or
no involvement on the part of an engineer. The computer
Application of the approximate solution of Poisson's equation performs the analysis at a significantly reduced cost and in a
to derive new formulae for impurity profile determination by much shorter time than is possible with a manual analysis. In
the C-V method. ANDRZ~ OSTROWSrd. Electron Technol. 15 addition to the increased accuracy and improved visibility,
(3/4) 57 (1982). In this publication the formulae are derived the computer assistance allows the engineer time to pursue
which are helpful in obtaining the real plots of impurity other equally beneficial tasks which may prove more
profiles in semiconductors by means of the C - V method. challenging.
They were obtained from the approximate solution of the Presented is a discussion of the events leading to the
Poisson's equation. In this approximation the influence of determination of the need for this computer aid and the
the free carriers (electrons and holes) can be also taken into theory of operation of the program itself. An illustrative
account, it gives more exact results in comparison with example of a sample input and analysis is included.
conventional Schottky approximation. Additionally, the many benefits realized, with virtually no
added cost, are summarized. It is shown that these benefits
Surrogate constraints algorithm for reliability optimization fall both within and outside the realm of stress analysis and
problems with multiple constraints. YUJI NAKAGAWA, the reliability engineering discipline in general, and
MITSUNORI HIKITA and Hmosm KAblADA. IEEE Trans. illustrates how they can be put to use to further support
Reliab. R-33 (4) 301 (October 1984). This paper presents a design efforts. An actual cost and time savings summary is
surrogate constraints algorithm for solving nonlinear also provided.