Common-cause and special-cause

Common Mode Failure ( CMF; German Representing error ) is a term from the European standard EN ISO 12100-1 and identified in the risk analysis to the failure of several similar components or equipment, the failure of which lead to a loss event. These are errors that were not triggered by a common cause. The term CMF is to be distinguished from a Common Cause Failure ( failure due to common cause).

Must be distinguished from also cascade errors if one of the members in a cascaded ( arranged one behind another ) chain of components is not working properly and this error affected the function of the entire chain.

An example of CMF network faults, among which all the influences (eg, feedback) are summarized, emanating from the load currents on the way from the power source to the consumer in connection with the impedances in the network and affect the grid voltage at the point of departure.