Reliability growth and forecasting for critical hardware through accelerated life testing

Lucent Technologies performs accelerated life testing (ALT) for critical hardware sub-assemblies used in telecommunication systems. Critical hardware includes power amplifiers, radio units, and other sub-assemblies that have a strong impact on system reliability. ALT is used to evaluate potential product weaknesses and performance degradation over a simulated operational lifetime. These weaknesses can be remedied through design changes prior to volume manufacturing and field deployment. ALT also provides statistical information that can forecast the steady-state product reliability under the expected field conditions, and measures progress towards satisfying field reliability requirements. Results indicate that a well-executed ALT program is an effective method to achieve reliability growth and forecast steady-state reliability. This paper reviews the ALT strategy, supporting models, product case studies, and program benefits. Case studies provide examples of design changes to achieve reliability growth, and demonstrate favorable comparison between the observed steady-state field reliability and the ALT predictions. (c) 2006 Lucent Technologies Inc.