the Journal of the First Quarter 1998 Reliability Analysis Center RAC is a DoD Information Analysis Center sponsored by the Defense Technical Information Center and operated by IIT Research Institute Pioneering Reliability Laboratory Addresses Information Technology Written by the RAC Staff with the assistance of the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate history office. The Air Force Research Another of the first reliability operational parameters into Laboratory Information efforts of RADC was the reliability requirements. The Directorate at the Rome (NY) publication of reliability original team created by Research Site is the current prediction models. An RCA Naresky for reliability name for a laboratory which document, TR 1100, became the technology development was a has been the DoD focal point basis of an RADC technical four man group: Edward for electronic reliability since report which was the first Krzysiak (group leader), the 1950s. Established in 1951 military reference on failure Anthony Coppola, Anthony D. as the Rome Air Development rates of electronic components. Pettinato, Jr., and John Fuchs. Center (RADC), becoming the A series of RADC Reliability As the number of reliability Rome Laboratory (RL) in Notebooks provided updates, personnel grew, statistical December 1990, and officially until RADC became the studies in reliability were adopting its present title in preparing activity for MIL- performed by various October 1997, the organization HDBK-217, Reliability individuals and groups under has been the primary DoD Prediction of Electronic the overall direction of David electronic reliability research Equipment. Prediction models F. Barber and his successor and development agency since for electronic parts became the Anthony J. Feduccia, division reliability was recognized as specialty of Lester Gubbins and, chiefs in a directorate headed an engineering discipline. It on his retirement, Seymour by Naresky. has twice received the annual Morris. award of the IEEE Reliability In 1961, the laboratory began to Society, in 1974 and in 1998. The laboratory also produced create facilities for research in references on failure rates for reliability physics. These One of the first publications non-electronic parts, the considering reliability as an prediction and demonstration of Volume 6 Number 1 engineering discipline was maintainability, and the use of Reliability Factors for Ground Bayesian statistics for Inside this Issue Electronic Equipment, reliability demonstration. It ISSRE ‘97................................ 7 published by RADC in 1955. was one of the first to develop Calls for Papers...................... 9 It’s author was Joseph J. the concept of system Call for Memories................... 9 Naresky (see biography on effectiveness, a figure of merit New from RAC ....................... 10 page 5), who created the combining availability, Industry Brief......................... 12 laboratory’s reliability reliability, and capability From the Editor ...................... 13 program and developed it from measures into a single measure Letter to the Editor................. 16 a personal commitment to a of the overall worth of a Some Observations on multi-faceted effort by about system to its user. Early studies Demonstrating Availability. 17 100 specialists. on operational influences on Mark Your Calendar ............... 20 reliability foreshadowed more Help from RAC....................... 22 recent development RAC Order Form................... 23 of a means for translating desired 1-888-RAC-USER (1-888- 722-8737) facilities included a variety of Circuits) qualification Air Force systems, such as the equipment useful for analyzing committee. More recently, airborne command post, and the the cause of failures in Daniel Fayette led a program “HAVE NOTE” program, under microelectronic devices. These for multichip module (MCM) which the laboratory tested a have been used to isolate and reliability and performance variety of Air Force weapons correct problems in operational assessment. Hybrids, MMIC systems for susceptibility to Air Force systems such as the (Microwave Monolithic electromagnetic interference. Minuteman missile. In 1962, Integrated Circuits), solid- The laboratory also created the laboratory sponsored the state Transmit/Receive numerous test sites in which first symposium on reliability modules, and most recently, aircraft were mounted inverted physics, which has continued Microelectromechanical (MEM) on pedestals so that their under IEEE sponsorship as the devices have all benefited from radiation patterns could be International Reliability laboratory programs. quickly and inexpensively Physics Symposium (IRPS). measured, in comparison to in- Noted leaders of the flight tests. From these With knowledge gained from laboratory’s microcircuit facilities, RADC became known an in-house thin film and reliability and quality as the keeper of the “upside monolithic microcircuit assurance activities through down Air Force.” Air Force manufacturing facility created the years include Joseph aircraft ranging in vintage from by Richard Nelson, the center Vaccaro, Joseph Brauer, the F-4 to the F-22, have produced RADC Exhibit 2867, Edward P. O’Connell, Al appeared on the test stands, Quality and Reliability Tamburrino, Regis Hilow, and recent participants have Assurance Procedures for Charles Messenger, and Dr. been the Navy EA-6B Prowler Monolithic Microcircuits. This Robert Thomas, among others. and some automotive document was the direct In 1994, both the statistical communications systems. Other ancestor of MIL-STD-883, Test studies and reliability physics recent developments have been Methods and Procedures for were integrated into the the use of infrared imaging to Microcircuits, the foundation of Electronics Reliability map electromagnetic fields both military and commercial Division under Eugene without the perturbation of microcircuit quality assurance, Blackburn. The new division conventional probing and of MIL-M-38510, the instituted a program for techniques, and the general specification for integrating diagnostics for development of an electro- microcircuits under the multichip modules permitting magnetic performance monitor military qualified parts efficient chip to system (EMPM) which can record the program, both authored by testability. electromagnetic environment center personnel. The inside a system. Leading EMC laboratory later created MIL- and related studies through the I-38535 General Specification years were Samuel Zaccari, for Integrated Circuits Robert McGregor and Carmen (Microcircuits) Manufacturing, Luvera. MIL-H-38534 General Specification for Hybrid The laboratory has often Microcircuits, and MIL-STD- applied its knowledge of 1772 Certification advanced technologies to create Requirements for Hybrid prototype equipment. In 1967, Microcircuit Facility and Lines, One of the first pictures showing it contracted with General which are the basis of the physics of failure phenomena, this 1960s Electric for the development of RADC photo shows the beginnings of current dual-use qualified corrosion of aluminum circuit MIRAGE (Microelectronic manufacturers system. interconnections. Indicator for Radar Ground Equipment) a technology As reliability studies began in The laboratory has always demonstration model of a the 1950s, the laboratory also been heavily involved in the display having one-tenth the began studies into electro- reliability and quality volume of the UPA-35 radar magnetic compatibility (EMC) assurance of new technologies. indicators in the field, and 100 which resulted in, among other John Farrell, for example, times the reliability. RADC things, models used for chaired the VHSIC (Very was designated the manager for analyzing the EMC problems of High Speed Integrated a joint Air Force -FAA 2 RAC Journal, Volume 6, No. 1 procurement of the FYQ-47 also chaired a committee on a thermal design guide, radar data digitizer, which artificial intelligence reliability management was so superior in reliability to applications to maintenance for manuals, a built-in-test design the FYQ-40 it replaced that a a 1984 study on reliability and guide, and many others. One of requirement for back up units in maintainability by the the organization’s most the field was rescinded. More Institute for Defense Analysis. popular products has been the recent activity included the Since then, led by Dale Reliability Toolkit, first development of the Time Stress Richards, the laboratory has produced in 1988 as the RADC Measurement Device (TSMD) to been involved with the Reliability Toolkit, updated in measure the environmental development of “SMART BIT” 1993 as the Rome Laboratory stresses in localized areas of an applying artificial intelligence Reliability Toolkit, and last equipment, and the integration to fault detection in the Joint produced in 1995 as the of the electromagnetic Surveillance and Target Attack Reliability Toolkit: performance monitor (EMPM) Radar System (JSTARS), and Commercial Practices Edition. into the TSMD. The the development of an R&M The latter provides a guide for development of the RH-32RISC Design Expert System commercial products and (Radiation Hardened 32 bit integrating reliability, military systems under the Reduced Instruction Set maintainability and DoD acquisition reform Computer) is also a recent testability analysis into a policies. Preston MacDiarmid laboratory effort. These efforts software tool capable of (now Director of The were, and are,