Parameter Determination for the Markov Modeling of Two-Machine Production Lines

This research investigates the mean time to failure (MTTF) of a fault-tolerant two-machine production line in the context of networked control systems (NCS). A conventional Markov model is used. A special metric is introduced and used to find the most cost-efficient and practical way of simultaneously decreasing controller failure rate and increasing repair rate and coverage in order to increase MTTF. Furthermore, it is shown how to factor software quality and operator expertise in the calculation of the model parameters.