Hardware reliability

Hardware and software failures cannot be considered alone when addressing the integrity, or the availability, of programmable equipment. Software features can affect hardware reliability as in the case of auto-test software which reveals dormant hardware faults. Hardware, on the other hand, can affect the outcome of software failures on a system through its configuration and timing related features. An assessment of system integrity thus involves a review of three areas: configuration, which refers to the degree of diversity and non-programmable alternatives which have been provided in the design; hardware reliability, in order to make comparisons with non-programmable alternatives; and software quality, which involves coding standards, validation and review methods, formal methods, etc