Robust Embedded Systems:
Books & Standards

Overview | Topic Areas
Tutorials | Books & Standards | Papers | Software | Data | Internet Resources

Available on-line:

• FIPS PUB 101: Guideline for lifecycl validation, verification, and testing of computer software, Federal Information Processing Standards Publication, 1983 June 6. (41 pages)
  This guideline presents an integrated approach to validation, verification, and testing (VV&T) for use use throughout the software lifecycle.
  On-line Copy available.

• Military Handbook 217F: Reliability Prediction of Electronic Equipment, MIL-HDBK-217F, December 1991, U.S. Dept. of Defense. (205 pages+change notices 1 & 2)
  Gives a methodology for computiung and comparing the reliability of different hardware design alternatives.
  On-line Copy available (IMPORTANT: look for change notices 1 & 2 at end of document!).

• Military Handbook 338B: Electronic Reliability Design Handbook, MIL-HDBK-338B, October 1998, U.S. Dept. of Defense. (1046 pages)
  Gives a lifecycle approach for designing reliable electronic systems.
  On-line Copy available.

• Military Handbook 347: Mission-Critical Computer Resources Software Support, MIL-HDBK-347, May 1990, U.S. Dept. of Defense. (82 pages)
  Covers software support activities and requirements throughout the system lifecycle.
  On-line Copy available.

• Military Handbook 470A: Designing and Developing Maintainable Products and Systems, MIL-HDBK-470A, August 1997, U.S. Dept. of Defense. (719 pages)
  Provides guidance to maintainability managers and engineers in developing and implementing a sound maintainability program for all types of products.
  On-line Copy available.

Reference only:

• Benchmarking Commercial Reliability Practices, Ned Criscimagna, Reliability Analysis Center, Rome NY, 1995. (140 pages)
  This reports the results of a business "benchmarking" exercise in which 41 companies from seven industries were surveyed to determine their current reliability practices. 11 companies were then interviewed.
  Details available. (dependability, society/institutions)

• Reliability Engineering Handbook, Dimitri Kececioglu; Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs NJ, 1991. (two volume set; 1229 pages+)
  This is an extensive treatise on the mathematics of reliability engineering. Volume 1 is based on the bathtub curve of component and system reliability. Volume 2 discusses reliability analysis and improvement techniques.
  Details available. (dependability; electro-mechanical hardware, design)

• Safeware: system safety and computers, Nancy Leveson, Addison-Wesley, Reading MA, 1995. (680 pages+).
  This book puts software safety into the context of traditional industrial safety engineering, which the author contends can teach many lessons that software practitioners need to learn. It also prescribes the elements of a safety-critical software program including analyses, design, and verification.
  Details available. (dependability, safety, software, humans; requirements, design)

• Handbook of Software Reliability Engineering, Michael Lyu (Editor), IEEE Computer Society Press, 1996. (850+ pages).
  This is a comprehensive collection of chapters on Software Reliability, and is an excellent place to review the current state of knowledge in the area. Topics covered include a survey or reliability modeling techniques, discussion of operational profiles (which are central to many modeling approaches), current practice & experience, data analysis, and several emerging techniques.
  Details available. (dependability, software; design, manufacturing)

• Long-Term Non-Operating Reliability of Electronic Products, Judy Pecht & Michael Pecht, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1995. (119 pages).
  A discussion of physics-of-failure for electronics stored for long periods of time, including in-use storage such as parked automobiles or dormant comsumer electronics.
  Details available. (dependability, electronic hardware, logistics; design)

• Introduction to Software Reliability: a state of the art review, Report # F30602-94-0087, Reliability Analysis Center (Mary Hartz, Ellen Walker, David Mahar listed as authors), Rome NY, 1996. (183 pages).
  Surveys software reliability concepts for hardware engineers, including software development methods, metrics, and reliability models.
  Details available. (dependability, software, design; electronic hardware, requirements)

• Electronic Reliability SP-573, SAE (Marvin Hartz, editor), Warrendale PA, 1984. (52 pages).
  This is an early collection of SAE papers on electronic and wiring harness reliability, including some lifecycle considerations.
  Details available. (dependability, electronic hardware, design, manufacturing)

• Automotive Electronics Reliability SP-696, SAE, Warrendale PA, 1987. (67 pages).
  This is a collection of SAE papers that together form a design manual for automotive reliability. In particular it addresses the differences between automotive applications and defense/aerospace approaches such as MIL-HDBK-217.
  Details available. (dependability, electronic hardware, design; affordability, electro-mechanical hardware, manufacturing, deployment)

• RTCA/DO-178B: Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification, Document, SC-167/Eurocae WG-12, RTCA, Washington DC, 1992. (85 pages+)
  This document, often referred to as "DO-178B" provides guidance for software planning, development, verification, configuration management, quality assurance, certification, and maintenance. It is used to guide development for flight-critical software for commercial aviation.
  Details available. (safety, software, design, manufacturing; dependability, requirements, deployment, logistics)

• Safety-Critical Computer Systems, Neil Storey, Addison-Wesley, Harlow England, 1996. (453+ pages).
  This is arguably the most comprehensive book available in the area of robust embedded system design. It is written in an introductory textbook style, and is an excellent starting point for an engineer trying to understand the multi-disciplinary technical issues involved with safety-critical systems.
  Details available. (dependability, safety, electronic hardware, software, design; requirements)

• Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety Assessment, Alain Villemeur; John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 1992. (two volume set; 746 pages+).
  Broad-ranging, multidisciplinary discussion of system-level dependability topics. Volume 1 is a survey of mathematics, and 9 analysis methods. Volume 2 discusses multiple disciplines, automated tools, and case studies.
  Details available. (dependability; safety, electronic hardware, software, humans)

Other Book Lists:

• Comp.software.testing FAQ book list
• Extensive Reliability Book List at U. Maryland

Philip Koopman: koopman@cmu.edu