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Welcome to the Reliability Information Analysis Center


2009 Product and Training Catalog Cover The Reliability Information Analysis Center(RIAC) 2009 Catalog of Products & Training is available for download.

This catalog is your complete guide to current and upcoming RIAC products and how to access RIAC services.
Download the 2009 Catalog of Products & Training.
View Our New Interactive Catalog

Featured Products:

The RIAC Desk Reference
The RIAC Desk Reference offers a collection of RIAC publications in addition helpful tools and articles to help you better understanding all aspects of Reliability, Maintainability, Quality, Supportability and Interoperability (RMQSI).

Refer to our Reliability Blueprints to learn more about reliability & reliability practices.

This 6 part series is designed for use in both the government and private sectors. It addresses products ranging from completely new commercial consumer products to highly specialized military systems.

Physics-of-Failure Based Handbook of Microelectronic Systems

Physics-of-Failure Based Handbook of Microelectronic Systems cover

Now also available as a hardcopy


This new publication presents a unique approach for microelectronic system reliability assessment and qualification based on physics-of-failure.


View Table of Contents


RIAC Consulting Picture

Reliability Consulting Services

The RIAC technical staff is ready to work with both government and industry customers on both short term and long term Reliability, Maintainability, Quality, Supportability, and Interoperability projects. We help clients identify problems and implement solutions that positively impact their most important organizational goals.

RIAC Consulting Picture


We offer an independent unbiased perspective in all our work that is performed by a competitively selected contractor team chosen primarily on the basis of its technical skills.

217Plus: RIAC's Reliability Prediction Methodology


217Plus is the long awaited update of the Center's commitment to develop a replacement prediction methodology for MIL-HDBK-217 "Reliability Prediction of Electronic Equipment," the widely used approach abandoned by the Government on 1995.

217Plus implements the models presented in the "Handbook of 217Plus™ Reliability Prediction Models".
217plus Logo
217Plus | Features | Technical Papers | FAQ | Knowledge Base | Consulting
RIAC Repertoire Logo REPERTOIRE TOUR
REPERTOIRE DEMO
REPERTOIRE is the RIAC's set of five on-line interactive reliability engineering training courses developed around the American Society for Quality (ASQ) body of knowledge for the Certified Reliability Engineer's (CRE) exam. Whether you are preparing for the CRE exam or just need basic training in reliability, you'll like the convenience of training on your own schedule, at your own pace.
  • The complete set of courses contains approximately thirty hours of narrated training, hundreds of quiz questions, and interactive exercises. The courses are:
    • Reliability Management
    • Probability and Statistics for Reliability
    • Reliability in Design and Development
    • Reliability Modeling and Prediction
    • Reliability Testing
 Quanterion QuART PRO Logo QuART PRO TOUR
QuART PRO DEMO
The On-Line Edition of the REPERTOIRE 5-module set offers buyers a free download of the QuART PRO software ($189 value), which is a suite of commonly used and easily accessed tools to support reliability engineers and practitioners.
2009 Catalog of Products & Training RIAC Desk Reference Physics-of-Failure Based Handbook of Microelectronic Systems Reliability Consulting Services 217Plus REPERTOIRE

SELECT - A Methodology for Acquiring Reliable COTS Equipment

SELECT - A Methodology for Acquiring Reliable COTS Equipment “A Defense Science Board (DSB) Task Force on Developmental Test and Evaluation (DT&E) was convened in the summer of 2007 to investigate the causal factors for the high percentage of programs entering Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) in recent years which have been evaluated as both not operationally effective and not operationally suitable. As part of their Final Report (http://theriac.org/pdfs/DSB-Rpt-DTE-May2008.pdf), released in late-May 2008, the Task Force identified several key findings and made critical recommendations in a number of areas. Section E of the report (page 42), states:

“Too often COTS which do not meet the application requirements are used. This leads to higher than anticipated failure rates and poor system mission reliability. Program managers must ensure that COTS components are able to operate satisfactorily in military mission environments. Two excellent detailed guidance manuals for the use of COTS items are:
  • “Selection of Equipment to Leverage Commercial Technology (SELECT) User Manual”, by David Nicholls, David Clark (Reliability Analysis Center - now the Reliability Information Analysis Center [RIAC], June 1998)”

  • “Evaluating the Reliability of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Items” by Ned H. Criscimagna (Reliability Information Analysis Center, August 1999).”
The release of the previously unavailable SELECT Final Report, now published as the RIAC product “The Selection of Equipment to Leverage Commercial Technology (SELECT) - A Methodology for Acquiring Reliable COTS Products” is structured such that it is not necessary to own the SELECT software tool in order to successfully apply the SELECT methodology. Appendices E through H contain all of the logic, equations, weighting and scoring rationale, and other factors required to apply the SELECT methodology manually, or to allow incorporation of the methodology into the users own spreadsheet applications. We've bundled the SELECT software, however, with both the Hardcopy and Download versions of the report at no extra charge.”
View the Table of Contents and the Executive Summary

RIAC News and Events

Physics-of-Failure Based Handbook of Microelectronic Systems

View Table of Contents

This new publication presents a unique approach for microelectronic system reliability assessment and qualification based on physics-of-failure. The Handbook illustrates a very straightforward and common sense approach to reliability assessment that includes the well known property of constant rate failures that industry observes in the field with the mostly academic approach of physics-of-failures evaluation. Simply stated, the authors have developed a system by which a reliability engineer can take data from accelerated life testing that tests only a single mechanism, by design, and relate it to the proportion of constant rate failures that are observed in the field. Then, the results of both field data and test data can be used in order to more properly model the expected lifetime behavior of electronics as they operate under specified conditions. 		Physics-of-Failure Based Handbook of Microelectronic Systems cover



Bookmarked Version of the Defense Acquisition Guidebook PDF Available for Download from RIAC

The purpose of the DoD Defense Acquisition Guidebook is to provide members of the DoD Acquisition Community and its industry partners with a reference to DoD policy and discretionary best practice. The RIAC has enhanced the November 2006 PDF Version of the Guidebook, currently available from the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) website, by adding a comprehensive bookmarked outline to aid in navigation. The RIAC-enhanced version can be downloaded from here. The enhanced version retains all of the hyperlinks incorporated into the DAU PDF versions.

It should be noted that, effective 8 December 2008, a new DoD Instruction 5000.02 was issued that cancels DoD Instruction 5000.2, dated 12 May 2003. The Defense Acquisition Guidebook is currently in revision to reflect the new DoDI 5000.02. For the interim, all links in the Guidebook to the cancelled DoDI 5000.2 are redirected to the PDF Version of the DoDI 5000.02. Upon its release, the revised Guidebook will include updated links to the correct sections and specific pages of the new DoDI 5000.02. When the revised Guidebook is released, RIAC will make it available for download. 		Defense Acquisition Guidebook cover
More DoD RMQSI Policies and Guidelines
RIAC News and Events

DoD ANNOUNCES MAJOR REVISION TO ACQUISITION POLICY

The Honorable John Young, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (USD(AT&L)), approved a major revision to the DoD Acquisition System (DoD Instruction 5000.02) today, which is effective immediately. This revision is the first major change to acquisition policy in over 5 years and reflects the department's determination to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its enterprise-wide acquisition business processes so it can continue to provide warfighters with the best weapons systems and support in the world.

"Enclosure 2 - Procedures" includes significant revitalization of DoD efforts to institutionalize reliability growth and reliability best practices into the DoD acquisition process. 		Operation of the Defense Acquisition System
RIAC News and Events

DoD Reliability Improvement Working Group
Report of the Reliability Improvement Working Group, September 4, 2008
RIWG Final Report - Complete.pdf
The Reliability Improvement Working Group (RIWG) was chartered by the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation and the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Technology), in February 2008, to implement recommendations by the Defense Science Board (DSB) documented in their report on Developmental Test and Evaluation (T&E) of May 2008. This report summarizes what the Components achieved during this period, and what remains to be done in order to fully realize the DSB recommendations. It is therefore a record of progress in steps taken by each Component and OSD, and a guide to what additional next steps could be taken by either a Component, after recognizing what have components have done and achieved, or by OSD. The Reliability Improvement Working Group (RIWG)
RIAC News and Events

Report of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Developmental Test and Evaluation - May 2008

The Defense Science Board (DSB) Task Force was asked to assess, from a Test and Evaluation (T&E) perspective, OSD organizational roles and responsibilities; policy and practices in oversight of acquisition programs; assess changes required to establish statutory authority for OSD DT&E oversight; and assess Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) failures due to lack of Operational Suitability. The Final Report provides finding and recommendations addressing broader programmatic issues stemming from systemic changes to the acquisition process. The report also presents findings and recommendations on program structure, requirements definition, contractual performance requirements, alignment of DoD terminology with systems engineering procedures, Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) products, and Systems of Systems (SoS). The RIAC "Selection of Equipment to Leverage Commercial Technology" (SELECT) work was cited as 'excellent detailed guidance' for the use of COTS items. 		The Defense Science Board (DSB) Task Force cover
RIAC News and Events

System Interoperability - The RIAC Guide

In this Guidebook, the interoperability of military command, control and communication (C3) systems and data networks are investigated to provide a better understanding of the standards, implementation, acquisition and operation of interoperable systems.

RIAC Participating in DoD Update to MIL-HDBK-217

Download The MIL-HDBK-217

The RIAC is an active member of the Working Group established by NSWC Crane, as the Preparing Activity (PA), to update MIL-HDBK-217. The RIAC, as an unbiased, third-party agency of the DoD, is also serving as the repository for any data that is contributed in support of this effort. In this capacity, the RIAC can provide Nondisclosure Agreements (NDAs) to protect any data that a potential contributor wishes to remain proprietary. The RIAC will ensure that all submitted data is properly sanitized, such that no proprietary information will be provided to the at-large MIL-HDBK-217 Working Group. If you have an interest in finding out more about this effort, or wish to provide data to support the update, please link to http://www.crane.navy.mil/sd18/ReliabilityFeedback.htm for more information on how you can become involved.
RIAC News and Events

217Plus Component Models Spreadsheet Available

The 217Plus Component Models Spreadsheet is available to simplify implementing the 217Plus Models, either as a standalone product or bundled with the 217Plus Process Grade Factor Spreadsheet.

Two articles provided with the DEMO download present an overview of the 217Plus™ methodology, so that the user can better understand the spreadsheet tool capabilities prior to purchase. 		217Plus V2.0

REPERTOIRE at the RIAC

REPERTOIRE, the 5 module set of reliability training courses is now available through the RIAC either on-line or on DVD. Note: REPERTOIRE on DVD does not contain the on-line quizzes that are in the web-based version.

Please try our REPERTOIRE DEMO.

 Repertoire

Introduction to Maintainability Engineering
On-Line Training Course

Maintainability On-Line Training Course Picture RIAC's new Introduction to Maintainability Engineering course covers basic concepts, definitions, elements of a comprehensive maintainability program, mathematical foundations, maintainability design and verification approaches.

On-Line training lets you learn at your own pace, anywhere, anytime, and save lots of money on travel expenses

Get instant access for only $299
View the Demos
  • Demo 1 - Introduction
  • Demo 2 - Introduction to Maintainability Concepts
Demos are cutout sections of the actual course 		Links:

Director, Defense Research and Engineering Home Page DefenseLINK - Official Web Site of the U.S. Department of Defense image map    The Reliability Information Analysis Center (RIAC) is the Department of Defense (DoD) chartered Center of Excellence in the fields of Reliability, Maintainability, Quality, Supportability, and Interoperability.    Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) Web Site IAC : Information Analysis Centers image map