I need estimated MTBF for a list of products

[cle-ftc]

Our system customer has requested estimated MTBF.  I therefore need estimated MTBF for the following PXI products: PXI-6509, PXI-6542, PXI-7813R, PXI-8431/8, PXI-8432/4, PXI-7953R.

It is understood these are estimates only and will be accompanied by disclaimers.  A full 217 calculation is not expected or desired.  I have obtained estimates from other system component suppliers.  How do I obtain these estimates from NI?

[Dominik-E2]

Hello,

Unfortunately, we do no perform MTBFs for every product. Of the list you provided, the only one I was able to find an number for was the PXI-8431. For this particualr card, at 25 degrees Celsius, the MTBF is around 4,190,091 hours.

[cle-ftc]

Thanks for the response, Dominik.  That is a very high number (indicating a very reliable product).  Can you tell me how it was determined?  For example, was it calculated from the design, or was it derived from field failure data?

[Dominik-E2]

Unfortunately, I do not know the MTBF testing procedure we subjected this particular card to. I will look into it further and get back to in you the next couple of days.

[Dominik-E2 · Accepted solution]

I did some more research on how our MTBF figures are calculated. Generally, including this card, our MTBFs are calculated based on design, not field fail rates. The method used to determine this particular card's MTBF was Bellcore Issue Level II.