What’s Up with Mean Time Between Failure

Mean Time Between Failures

Mean time between failure is a measure of how reliable a hardware product or component is. The MTBF figure can be developed as the result of intensive testing, based on actual product experience, or predicted by analyzing known factors. Given the long life and high-quality manufacturing of modern transceivers, the MTBF figure is calculated by the prediction method.

MTBF can be predicted using the “Parts Count Method” of Bellcore TR 332, Issue 6 (Method 1), which is a reliability prediction procedure of electronic equipment as a sum of the failure rates of its constituent components. Devices are assumed to be operating at normal operating conditions comparable to those found in a typical air-conditioned office. A “failure” is defined as when a part no longer meets its original specifications, and failure of a single component is assumed to result in a failure of the entire assembly.

Early failures are eliminated through testing and certification during the manufacturing process, as well as inbound and outbound testing from our warehouse. The observed failure rate for Integra Optics is less than .001% based on historical data over the last 10 years. Operational lifetimes have not yet reached the point where “wear out” failures are anticipated to occur.

Given the above factors, all Integra Optics transceivers have a calculated MTBF figure in excess of 900,000 hours. Our reliability is demonstrated by our optics being installed and operating on customer sites for over 10 years. Integra Optics offers a lifetime warranty on all fiber optic transceivers, guaranteeing you peace of mind, and more uptime for your network.