In document ISO/CD 10303-226, a fault is defined as an abnormal condition or defect at the component, equipment, or sub-system level which may lead to a failure.

According to the Federal Standard 1037C of the United States, the term fault has the following meanings:

1. An accidental condition that causes a functional unit to fail to perform its required function.
2. A defect that causes a reproducible or catastrophic malfunction. A malfunction is considered reproducible if it occurs consistently under the same circumstances.
3. In power systems, an unintentional short-circuit, or partial short-circuit, between energized conductors or between an energized conductor and ground. A distinction can be made between symmetric and asymmetric faults.

Failures in hardware can be caused by random faults or systematic faults, but failures in software are always systematic.

[edit] See also

• Computer bug
• Defect
• Anomaly in software

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