IEC 61709:2017 PDF (Not Available)

IEC 61709:2017 is a standard that provides guidance on the use of failure rate data for reliability prediction of electric components in equipment. It introduces the concept of reference conditions, which are typical values of stresses experienced by components in most applications. These reference conditions serve as a standard basis for modifying failure rates to account for environmental differences. Users can either use the reference conditions defined in the standard or establish their own.

The standard also presents stress models that can be used to convert failure rate data given at reference conditions to actual operating conditions. This simplifies the prediction approach and allows for realistic reliability predictions during the early design phase. However, the conversion of failure rate data is only possible within the specified functional limits of the components.

IEC 61709:2017 provides guidance on constructing a database of component failure data, which can be used with the included stress models. The standard specifies reference conditions for failure rate data to enable the comparison of data from different sources on a uniform basis. It does not provide base failure rates for components but instead offers models for converting failure rates obtained through other means.

This third edition of the standard, published in 2017, includes significant technical changes compared to the previous edition. It introduces new sections, such as component choice, reliability growth during the deployment phase of new equipment, and guidelines on how to use the document. It also adds clauses on printed circuit boards (PCB) and hybrid circuits. Various annexes have been modified, added, or revised to provide additional information and considerations for the design of a database, failure modes of components, thermal models for semiconductors, mission profiles, useful life models, physics of failure, and presentation of component reliability data.