Monitoring/detection systems : reliability based performance assessment

Monitoring & Detection (M&D) systems are introduced in almost all daily life aspects. Today, it is unlikely to find out a system that is not equipped with a sort of M&D apparatus, even the most ordinary and uncritical systems. Objective assessments of the performances of M&D systems are increasingly needed. Performance assessment may be motivated by commercial interests or by certification concerns if the application field is ordinary or uncritical. While, if the application filed is critical, safety and security aspects may become the major focus. The paper classifies in three classes the models that are the most-frequently used to describe M&D systems. The author proposes for each class a suitable indicator of performance based on M&Dsystems reliability targets.