What characterizes an intermittent fault?

An intermittent fault is characterized primarily by its unpredictable nature. These types of faults do not consistently manifest themselves, which means that the failure can occur at irregular intervals and under varying conditions. This unpredictability can make diagnosing intermittent faults particularly challenging, as they may not always be present for observation or testing.

In contrast, consistent malfunctions suggest a static problem that can be replicated easily, while long duration outages imply a persistent fault rather than an intermittent one. Static errors refer to issues that remain constant without fluctuation, unlike the unpredictable and sporadic appearance of intermittent faults. Thus, the essence of an intermittent fault lies in its erratic occurrences, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of failure or when it might reoccur.