Definition:
MTBF is the predicted elapsed operating time between inherent failures of a system during normal operation.
Key Points:
- Primarily a measure of availability.
- Not directly equivalent to SIL requirements without considering failure modes.
Example:
A transmitter with MTBF of 500,000 hours.
See also: mean time to failure, MTTF
Cited Source:
- IEC 61709:2017.