MIL-HDBK-217 was the original standard for reliability, designed to provide reliability math models for all types of electronic devices. It is used by both commercial companies and the defense industry, and is accepted and known world-wide. Even though this handbook is no longer being kept up to date by the U.S. military, it remains the most widely used approach by both commercial and military analysts.

This presentation shows how MIL-HDBK-217 models can be used in conjunction with manufacturer's FIT data to perform a more accurate reliability prediction. Three major factors must be obtained for a successful prediction: 1) FIT data, 2) activation energy and 3) the temperature at which the FIT value was determined. The last step is to extrapolate FIT value using the Arrhenius model.

Key Words: Prediction, FIT Data, Activation Energy, Arrhenius Model, MIL-HDBK-217