Fault Tree Analysis
Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is a top-down, deductive failure analysis technique used to identify and evaluate the causes of system failures. It involves constructing a logical diagram (fault tree) that maps out the relationships between a top-level undesired event and its underlying root causes, using Boolean logic gates like AND and OR. This methodology is widely applied in safety engineering, reliability analysis, and risk assessment to quantify failure probabilities and improve system design.
Developers should learn FTA when working on safety-critical systems (e.g., aerospace, automotive, medical devices) or high-reliability applications to proactively identify failure modes and mitigate risks. It is particularly useful during the design phase to analyze potential faults, comply with industry standards like ISO 26262, and enhance system robustness by addressing vulnerabilities before deployment.