Reliability and dependability standards provide quick guides for reliability details. They are an efficient method for avoiding the not invented here (NIH) syndrome. A wide variety of subjects are available from IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) TC-56 subcommittee for publications (Technical Committee 56 is responsible for dependability issues driven by a strategic policy statement).

The IEC defines dependability as: Dependability describes the availability performance and its influencing factors: reliability performance, maintainability performance and maintenance support performance. The committee was formed in 1965 as TC 56 Reliability and Maintainability and the title was changed to Dependability in 1989 and in 1990 it was agreed that the scope should no longer be limited to the electrotechnical field but should address generic dependability issues across all disciplines. TC 56 is attempting to minimize standards and duplication by corss-committee membership with organizations such as IEEE and ASQ. Some of the 50 IEC publications are:

You can procure most of the following documents from IEC as downloadable PDF's from their website store at http://www.iec.ch.

Dependability management:
IEC 60300-1 (2003-06) Dependability management-Part 1: Dependability management systems. Deals with dependability performance issues including availability performance, reliability performance, maintainability performance, and maintenance support performance. (17 pages, ~US$52)

IEC 60300-2 (2004-03) Dependability management-Part 2: Provides guidelines for dependability management of product design, development, evaluation and process enhancements. Life cycle models are used to describe product development or project phases. Applicable for detailed planning and implementation of a dependability program to meet specific product needs. (103 pages, ~US$92)

IEC 60300-3-1 (2003-01) Dependability management-Part 3-1: Application guide-Analysis techniques for dependability-Guide on methodology. Describes a general overview of common dependability analysis techniques along with advantages/disadvantages for choosing the appropriate method. (59 pages, ~US$117)

IEC 60300-3-2 (2004-11-10) Dependability management-Part 3: Application guide-Section 2: Collection of dependability data from the field. Describes guidelines for the collection of data relating to reliability, maintainability, availability, and maintenance support performance in the field. (79 pages, US$114)

IEC 60300-3-3 (2005-08-29) Dependability management-Part3: Application guide-Section 3: Life cycle costing. This part of IEC 60300 provides a general introduction to the concept of life cycle costing and covers all applications. This standard is intended for general application by both customers (users) and suppliers of products. It explains the purpose and value of life cycle costing and outlines the general approaches involved. It also identifies typical life cycle cost elements to facilitate project and programme planning. (127 pages, ~US$147)

IEC 60300-3-4 (1996-08) Dependability management-Part 3: Application guide-Section 4: guide to the specification of dependability requirements. (35 pages, ~US$52).

IEC 60300-3-5 (2001-03) Dependability management-Part 3-5: Application guide-Reliability test conditions and statistical test principles. Describes guidelines for planning and performing reliability tests and the use of statistical methods to discover weaknesses in the design that could be corrected to improve performance, quality, safety, robustness, reliability, availability, and reduce costs. (139 pages, ~US$137)

IEC 60300-3-6 (1997-11) Dependability management-Part 3: Application guide-Section 6: Software aspects of dependability. Describes dependability elements and tasks for systems or products containing software. (59 pages, ~US$73) - This document has been withdrawn in 2004 and replaced by IEC 60300-2 .

IEC 60300-3-7 (1999-05) Dependability management-Part 3-7: Application guide-Reliability stress screening of electronic hardware. Describes and application guide to reliability stress screening for electronic hardware. (69 pages, ~US$82)

IEC 60300-3-9 (1995-12) Dependability management-Part 3: Application guide-Section 9: Risk analysis of technological systems. Describes guidelines for selecting and implementing risk analysis techniques for quality and consistency in planning and execution for risk analysis. (67 pages, ~US$82)

IEC 60300-3-10 (2001-01) Dependability management-Part 3-10: Application guide-Maintainability. Describes implementation of a maintainability program. (67 pages, ~US$82)

IEC 60300-3-11 (1999-03) Dependability management-Part 3-11: Application guide-Reliability centered maintenance. Describes development of a preventive maintenance program using RCM techniques. (107 pages, ~US$117)

IEC 6003-3-12 (2001-12) Dependability management-Part 3-12: Application guide-Integrated logistic support. Describes an application guide for the purchaser/supplier to complete product life cycle. (93 pages, ~US$101)
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Life Cycle Costs
IEC 60300-3-3 (2005-08-29) Dependability management-Part3: Application guide-Section 3: Life cycle costing. Describes life cycle costing concepts and general guidance for conducting life cycle cost analysis. (59 pages, ~US$147)
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Specifications
IEC 60300-3-4 (1996-08) Dependability management-Part 3: Application guide-Section 4: guide to the specification of dependability requirements. (35 pages, ~US$52).
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Prediction
No published application guide or draft is available - more later.

IEC 60319 (1999-09) Presentation and specification of reliability data for electronic components. This standard provides guidance for the collection and presentation of data relating to the reliability of electronic components and their reliability characteristics. It also provides guidance to users as to how they should specify their reliability requirements to manufactures. (39 pages, ~US$72)

IEC 60863 (1986-05) was withdrawn in 2004 and replaced by IEC 60319 also described above and IEC 61709 described below. Presentation of reliability, maintainability, and availability predictions. Describes items for presentation of reliability predictions for quantitative characteristics of reliability, maintainability, availability, including hardware, software, and human elements. (23 pages, ~$US 35)

IEC 61709 (1992-10) Electronic Components -- Reliability -- Reference conditions for failure rates and stress models for conversion. Describes the use of failure rate data for reliabiolty prediction of components in electronic equipment including the effects of complexity, stress models for conversion. (83 pages, ~US$101).
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Design Review
IEC 61160 (1992-09) Formal Design Review. Describes means of stimulating product or process improvement for dependability, life, safety, endurance, environment, electromagnetic compatibility, and performance requirements. (63 pages, ~US$82)
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Analytical Techniques
IEC 60300-1 (3003-06) Dependability management-Part 1: Dependability management systems. Deals with dependability performance issues including availability performance, reliability performance, maintainability performance, and maintenance support performance. (17 pages, ~US$52)

IEC 60812 (1985-07) Analysis techniques for system reliability -- Procedure for failure mode and effects analysis ( FMEA ). Describes FMEA and FMECA with guidance for application. (41 pages, ~US$64)

IEC 61025 (1990-10) Fault tree analysis ( FTA ). Defines basic principles, and the steps necessary to perform an analysis along with identification rules and symbols. (39 pages, US$57)

IEC 61078 (1991-11) Analysis techniques for dependability -- Reliability block diagram method. Describes procedures for modeling system reliability to calculate reliability and availability measures and contains a standard set of symbols related to reliability parameters. (57 pages, ~US$73)

IEC 61165 (1995-01) Application of Markov techniques. Describes Markov analysis methods for modeling maintenance strategies along with failure restorations events displayed in a pictorial way. (45 pages, US$64)

IEC 61882 (2001-05) Hazard and operability studies ( HAZOP studies ) -- Application guide. Describes a guide for HAZOP studies with guide words. (113 pages, US$117)

IEC 61649 (1997-05) Goodness-of-fit tests, confidence intervals and lower confidence limits for Weibull distributed data. (31 pages, US$52)
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Reliability Growth
IEC 61014 (1989-11) Programs for reliability growth. Describes guidelines for exposure and removal of weaknesses in hardware and software items to make reliability grow and mathematical modeling is outlined briefly. (61 pages, ~US$82)

IEC 61164 (1995-06) Reliability growth -- Statistical test and estimation methods. Describes standard models and numerical methods for reliability growth assessments based on failure data from a single system. (61 pages, ~US$82)

IEC 61710 (2000-11) along with corrigendum IEC 61710 Corr.1 (2001-09) Power law model -- Goodness-of-fit test and estimation methods. Describes procedures to estimate the parameters of the power law model along with confidence intervals for failure intensity, and prediction intervals for the time to future failures along with a test of goodness of fit to data from repaired items. (77 pages, ~US$92)
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Reliability Testing and Statistical Principles
IEC 60300-3-5 (2001-03) Dependability management-Part 3-5: Application guide-Reliability test conditions and statistical test principles. Describes guidelines for planning and performing reliability tests and the use of statistical methods to discover weaknesses in the design that could be corrected to improve performance, quality, safety, robustness, reliability, availability, and reduce costs. (139 pages, ~US$137)

IEC 60605-2 (1994-10) Equipment reliability testing-Part 2: Design of test cycles. Describes the design of operating eand environmental test cycles referenced in section 8.1 and 8.2 of IEC 605-1 [which was withdrawn in 2001 and replaced by IEC60300-3-5] (57 pages, ~US$73).

IEC 60605-3-1 (1986-09) Equipment reliability testing-Part 3: Preferred test conditions. Indoor portable equipment-Low degree of simulation. Describes tests for portable equipment operated in a stationary position. (19 pages, ~US$32)

IEC 60605-3-2 (1986-09) Equipment reliability testing- Part 3: Preferred test conditions. Equipment for stationary use in weather protected locations -- High degree of simulation. Describes preferred test conditions given in IEC 605-1 [which was withdrawn in 2001 and replaced by IEC60300-3-5] (21 pages, ~US$35).

IEC 60605-3-3 (1992-11) Equipment reliability testing -- Part 3: Preferred test conditions -- Section 3: Test Cycle 3: Equipment for stationary use in partially weather protected locations -- Low degree of simulation. Describes test cycles not intended to replace tests for other purposes. (29 pages, ~US$42)

IEC 60605-3-4 (1992-07) Equipment reliability testing. Part 3: Preferred test condition. Section 4: Test cycle 4: Equipment for portable and no-stationary use -- Low degree of simulation. Describes preferred test conditions as give in IEC 60605-1. (33 pages, ~US$52)

IEC 60605-3-5 (1996-03) along with corrigendum IEC 60605-3-5 Corr.1 (1996-03) Equipment reliability testing. Part 3: Preferred test condition. Section 5: Test cycle 4: Ground mobile equipment -- Low degree of simulation. Describes direct current (dc) powered mobile equipment tests as give in IEC 60721-2-1. (35 pages, ~US$52)

IEC 60605-3-6 (1996-08) Equipment reliability testing. Part 3: Preferred test condition. Section 6: Test cycle 6: Outdoor transportable equipment -- Low degree of simulation. Describes testing of outdoor transportable equipment operating in a stationary position in a Òwarm temperatureÓ as per IEC 60721-2-1. (33 pages, ~US$52)

IEC 60605-4 (2001-08) Equipment reliability testing. Part 4: Statistical procedures for exponential distribution -- Point estimates, confidence intervals, prediction intervals and tolerance intervals.. Describes statistical methods for evaluating point estimates, confidence intervals, prediction intervals, and tolerance intervals for the failure rate of items whose time to failure follows and exponential distribution. (65 pages, ~US$82)

IEC 60605-6 (1997-04) along with corrigendum IEC 60605-6 Corr.1 (2000-12) Equipment reliability testing -- Part 6: Tests for the validity of the constant failure rate or constant failure intensity assumptions. Describes procedures to verify the assumption of a constant failure rates as defined in IEC 60050-191(1990-12) (Terminology).

IEC 61070 (1991-11) Compliance test procedures for steady-state availability. Describes compliance testing techniques for availability performance testing of frequently maintained items.

IEC 61123 (1991-12) Reliability testing -- Compliance test plans for success ratio. Describes procedures for compliance test plans for success ratio or failure ratio tests where each trial is statistically independent. Supersedes IEC 605-5. (61 pages, ~US$82)

IEC 61124 (1997-07) Reliability testing -- Compliance tests for constant failure rate and constant failure intensity. Describes specific test procedures with sequential tst plans, time/failure terminated test plans, or fixed calendar time/failure terminated test plans. Cancels and replaces IEC 60605-7. (117 pages, ~US$117)

IEC 61649 (1997-05) Goodness-of-fit tests, confidence intervals and lower confidence limits for Weibull distribution data. Describes numerical methods for performing a Weibull goodness of fit test for two-parameter Weibull distribution using maximum likelihood methods. (31 pages, ~US$47)

IEC 61650 (1997-08) Reliability data analysis techniques -- Procedures for comparison of two constant failure rates and two constant failure (event) intensities. Describes procedures to compare two observed failure rates, failure intensities, or rates/intensities of relevant events to determine apparent differences between the two sets of data - contains simple practical examples (39pages, ~US$57)
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Sampling And Inspection Procedures
IEC 60410 (1973-01) Sampling plans and procedures for inspection by attributes. Describes plans and procedures for inspection by attributes. (82 pages, ~us$101)
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Reliability Stress Screening
IEC 60300-3-7 (1999-05) Dependability management-Part 3-7: Application guide-Reliability stress screening of electronic hardware. Describes and application guide to reliability stress screening for electronic hardware. (69 pages, ~US$82)

IEC 61163-1 (1995-08) along with corrigendum 1 at IEC 61163-1 Corr.1 (1992-12) Reliability stress screening -- Part 1: Repairable items manufactured in lots. Describes processes which are applicable for hardware items which have unacceptably low reliability in the early failure periods and when other methods such as reliability grow plots are not applicable. (153 pages, ~US$214)

IEC 61163-2 (1998-11) Reliability stress screening -- Part 2: Electronic components. Describes guidance on reliability stress screening techniques and procedures for electronic components. (69 pages, ~US$82)

IEC 61163-3 (draft and voting per TC-5) Reliability stress screening. Part 3: Repairable single items.
Not published
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Software Aspects of Dependability
IEC 60300-3-6 (1997-11) Dependability management-Part 3: Application guide-Section 6: Software aspects of dependability. Describes dependability elements and tasks for systems or products containing software. (59 pages, ~US$73) This document has been withdrawn in 2004 and replaced by IEC 60300-2 .

IEC 61713 (2000-06) Software dependability through the software life-cycle process-Application guide, Describes activities to achieve dependable software to support IEC 60300-3-6 (1997-11) (replaced by IEC 60300-2) and the guide is useful for acquires, supplies, developers, operators/maintainers of software.

IEC 61720 (draft) Guide to techniques and tools for achieving confidence in software,
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Maintainability And Maintenance Support
IEC 60300-3-10 (2001-01) Dependability management-Part 3-10: Application guide-Maintainability. Describes implementation of a maintainability program. (67 pages, ~US$82)

IEC 60706-1 (1982-01) Guide on maintainability of equipment. Part 1- Section One, Two and Three. Introduction, requirements and maintainability program. Describes the concept of maintainability, the general approach for maintainability, and gives maintainability objectives. (39 pages, ~US$57)

IEC 60706-2 (1990-09) Guide on maintainability of equipment. Part 2- Section Five. Maintainability studies during the design phase. Describes maintainability studies during the preliminary and detailed design pahses and their relationships to other maintainability and maintenance support tasks. (39 pages, ~US$57)

IEC 60706-3 (1987-12) Guide on maintainability of equipment. Part 3- Sections Six and Seven. Verification and collection, analysis and presentation of data. Describes aspects of verification to ensure specified values of maintainability are met and provides suitable procedures and test methods. (47 pages, ~US$70)

IEC 60706-4 (1992-09) Guide on maintainability of equipment. Part 4- Section 8: Maintenance and maintenance support planning. Describes the tasks required for planning of maintenance and maintenance support - also describes the interface between reliability, maintainability and maintenance support planning. (63 pages, ~US$82)

IEC 60706-5 (1994-11) Guide on maintainability of equipment. Part 5 - Section 4: Diagnostic testing. Describes guidance for early consideration of testability aspects in design and development. (53 pages, ~US$73)

IEC 60706-6 (1994-12) Guide on maintainability of equipment. Part 6- Section 9: Statistical methods in maintainability evaluation. Describes techniques covering quantitative aspects of maintainability. (41 pages, ~US$64)
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Reliability Centered Maintenance
IEC 60300-3-11 (1999-03) Dependability management-Part 3-11: Application guide-Reliability centered maintenance. Describes development of a preventive maintenance program using RCM techniques. (107 pages, ~US$117)
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Integrated Logistic Support
IEC 6003-3-12 (2001-12) Dependability management-Part 3-12: Application guide-Integrated logistic support. Describes an application guide for the purchaser/supplier to complete product life cycle. (93 pages, ~US$101)
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Risk Analysis
IEC 60300-3-9 (1995-12) Dependability management-Part 3: Application guide-Section 9: Risk analysis of technological systems. Describes guidelines for selecting and implementing risk analysis techniques for quality and consistency in planning and execution for risk analysis. (67 pages, ~US$82)
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Risk Management
IEC 62198 (2001-04) Project risk management -- Application guidelines. Describes a general introduction to project risk management, its sub-processes and influencing factors, and provides guidelines for implementing risk management at various phases of a project. (37 pages, ~US$57)
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Collection And Presentation of Dependability Data
IEC 60300-3-2 (2004-11-12) Dependability management-Part 3: Application guide-Section 2: Collection of dependability data from the field. Describes guidelines for the collection of data relating to reliability, maintainability, availability, and maintenance support performance in the field. (79 pages, US$114)

IEC 60319 (1990-09) Presentation and specification of reliability data for electronic components. Describes data needed to characterizing reliability of components and gives guidance to users how to specify their reliability requirements to manufacturers. (39 pages, ~US$57)
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Miscellaneous
IEC 60050-191(1990-12) International Electrotechnical Vocabulary, Chapter 191: Dependability and quality of service (149 pages, ~US$137)

IEC 61703 (2001-09) Mathematical expressions for reliability, availability, maintainability and maintenance support terms (103 pages, ~US$117)
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