Method of modeling a component fault tree for an electric circuit

A method for modeling a component fault tree for an electric circuit with an input-side component and an output-side component, the method comprising:

• obtaining a respective component fault tree for each respective component, each respective component fault tree corresponding to a hazard for the respective component, wherein each fault tree includes an input fault mode or a basic event and an output fault mode, wherein the output fault mode and the input fault mode are each assigned to a terminal of the component;
• obtaining a circuit description including information about the various components of the electric circuit and a connection between components, wherein the circuit description includes a list of additional components of the circuit with respective terminals and/or contacts, the additional components disposed in the circuit between the input-side component and the output-side component;
• connecting the respective component fault trees of the input-side component, the output-side component, and the additional components based on the circuit description;
• and
• obtaining a hazard tree for the electric circuit and/or for a technical system comprising the circuit, the hazard tree modeling a hazard for the electric circuit;
• wherein an output fault mode of the component fault tree of the input-side component is connected to an input fault mode of the component fault tree of the output-side component if:
• the circuit description contains a connection between the assigned terminal of the input-side component and the assigned terminal of the output-side component;
• and
• the output fault mode of the component fault tree of the input-side component correlates to an input fault mode of the component fault tree of the output-side component;
• and
• wherein an OR link of output fault modes of the component fault tree of the input-side component or several component fault trees of input-side components connected to the same input fault mode of the component fault tree of the output-side component is changed to an AND link if:
• the hazard tree for the circuit and/or for a technical system comprising the circuit contains a corresponding piece of information about the link as an AND link;
• or
• the circuit description contains a corresponding piece of information about the link as an AND link.