ReliaSoft API Reference

Synthesis API can be used to accomplish the exact same tasks as within Synthesis, but through a programmer's own custom-developed code. This allows for a more customizable and automated solution to reliability engineering. The sample code and documentation in this manual have been prepared for the Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 (Visual Basic and .Net) development environment, and we assume that the programmer is familiar with programming in that environment.

In order to use this library in a project, a reference to the ReliaSoft Synthesis API Library is required. The library is located in the folder where ReliaSoft Synthesis is installed. By default, this folder is "C:\Program Files\ReliaSoft\Synthesis 9."

• .NET developers – use SynthesisAPI.dll

• VB6 / VBA developers – use SynthesisAPI.tlb

The Synthesis API includes a rich set of classes/enumerations that allow you to work with any of the following components of the Synthesis Platform:

• Repositories: Allow an application to access and edit Synthesis repositories.
• Weibull++ Standard Folio: Use this class to access all the basic functionality of a Weibull++ standard folio, including entering data in a data sheet, specifying analysis settings and fitting a distribution to the data set.
• ALTA Standard Folio: Access the analytical capabilities of an ALTA standard folio.
• Models in Weibull++/ALTA: Build models in Weibull++/ALTA.
• Plots in Weibull++/ALTA: Generate plots from a Weibull++/ALTA standard folio.
• Resources: Use these classes to create resources, edit their properties and calculate reliability metrics from fitted models.
• Raw Reliability Data: Work with raw reliability data that can be stored in the Reliability Data Warehouse (RDW).
• Displayed Language: Set the language that will be used for the entire library.

A complete list of all the classes and enumerations in the Synthesis API is available here.

Formatted Usage Examples

These formatted examples begin with an XML file, import it into the synthesis repository, add data, perform calculations, perform an analysis, and show results. Finally, they create a plot and display a message.

First we will show the importation of a file into BlockSim.

Declare a new repository connection class.

      Private WithEvents MyRepository As New Repository

Connect to the Synthesis repository.

      Dim Success As Boolean = False
      Success = MyRepository.ConnectToSQLRepository("SQLServerPath", "SQLDatabaseName")

Import the XML File to the Synthesis repository.

      Dim SuccessImportXML As Boolean
      SuccessImportXML = MyRepository.ImportXFRACASXMLFile("XMLFilePath")

The file has been imported. Now we will demonstrate the use of Synthesis API in Weibull.

Declare the WeibullDataSet. See New WeibullDataSet for additional details.

       Dim WDS as New WeibullDataSet

Add values to the raw data. See AddFailure for additional details.

       WDS.AddFailure(1, 1)
       WDS.AddFailure(2, 1)
       WDS.AddFailure(3, 1)

Add values to the raw data. See AddSuspension for additional details.

       WDS.AddSuspension(1, 1)
       WDS.AddSuspension(2, 1)
       WDS.AddSuspension(3, 1)

Calculate the WeibullDataSet. See Calculate for additional details.

       WDS.Calculate

Get the number of failures. In this example, NumberOfFailures will be 3. See FailureCount for additional details.

       Dim NumberOfFailures as Integer
       NumberOfFailures = WDS.FailureCount

Calculate the Fitted Model using the raw data. See CalculateBestFit for additional details.

       WDS.CalculateBestFit

Use the Fitted Model using the raw data. See FittedModel for additional details.

       Dim WDSFittedModel as cModel
       WDSFittedModel = WDS.FittedModel

Use ClearDataSet to clear data and fitted model. See ClearDataSet for additional details.

       WDS.ClearDataSet

Get the number of failures. In this example, NumberOfFailures will be 0. See FailureCount for additional details.

       Dim NumberOfFailures as Integer
       NumberOfFailures = WDS.FailureCount

The below demonstrates that plots may also be utilized.

Create a new Weibull/ALTA Plot instance.

       Dim WeibullALTAPlot As New WAPlots

Declare a WeibullDataSet. See New WeibullDataSet for additional details.

       Dim WDS As New WeibullDataSet

Add values to the raw data. See AddFailure for additional details.

       WDS.AddFailure(1, 1)
       WDS.AddFailure(2, 1)
       WDS.AddFailure(3, 1)

Add the WeibullDataSet to the WAPlots.

       WeibullALTAPlot.AddDataset(WDS)

Create the WAPlot. In this example, it will create a Probability plot.

       Dim FinalPlot As Bitmap = WeibullALTAPlot.CreatePlot(WAPlotType.Probability)

If there were any issues creating the plot, ErrorHappened would be True, and ErrorString will display the reason.

       Dim ErrorString as String
       If WeibullALTAPlot.ErrorHappened Then
           ErrorString = WeibullALTAPlot.ErrorMessage
       End If