ARP 1834 provides general guidance for the selection, approach to, and performance of various kinds of F/FA of digital systems and equipment. Its prime objective is to present several industry-acceptable, cost-effective methods for identifying, analyzing, and documenting digital-equipment failure modes and their effects. The analysis techniques and considerations presented here are directed to digital-equipment hardware faults and failures exclusively. ARP 1834 is not intended as an exhaustive treatment of the enormously complex process involved in the analytical failure evaluation of complete digital systems, nor as a universally applicable, definitive listing of the necessary and sufficient steps and actions for such evaluation. ARP 1834 addresses the following areas of consideration in the preparation and performance of F/FA's for digital equipment:

1. Possible Analysis Approaches: Top-Down and/or Bottom-Up (Sect 2)
2. Fault/Failure Modes, as they affect equipment operation and performance (Sect 3)
3. Fault Monitoring Methodology: Reasons for, types of, and effectiveness (Sect 4)
4. Analysis Methods: Preparation for, types of, effectiveness and coverage (Sect 5)