I see a variety of similarities between Tin whiskers… and my own: Elusive, thin, short, and never helpful.  And there is always the random single hair that frustrates you to no end.

Unfortunately, the costs associated with tin whiskers in the electronics, defense, health, and aerospace industries are astronomical compared to my need to shave once every two weeks.  Failure of products due to tin whisker growth can undermine an entire mission, scrap a program, or take a life.  I think about electronic pacemakers, our men and women traveling to space, or our servicemen and women flying at Mach speeds thousands of feet above the ground.

There has yet to be a definitive ruling made concerning the cause/prevention of whiskers, although pure tin components and plating seem to exhibit the highest likelihood of developing them.  Best practices at this time are to use a tin/lead mix with no greater than 97% tin.  However, RoHS regulations are throwing a wrench into this with its demands for lead-free products.  Some RoHS frequently asked questions are answered here.

This issue received significant attention at the IPC Technology Interchange this last December.  Also, the Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering at the University of Maryland (CALCE) and The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research at Osaka University (ISIR) are putting on another International Symposium on Tin Whiskers this June.  The call for papers is still out.  Read more about this at PCB007. Proceedings from past Symposiums can be found here.

For a great overview of tin whiskers, be sure to check out the resources provided by NASA.  The pictures in this article have all been sourced from NASA.

Have you dealt with tin whiskers in your products/designs? What types of damage have they caused?  What are some of the things you have done to diminish the likelihood of them?

Homepage Image Original found here

Blackjack II

As the keys begin to stick on my Samsung Blackjack II, and I think about how the navigation wheel used to spin freely, I remember the days of my Siemens M56. That little phone was built like a tiny brick, and it withstood the harshest abuse. Whether we were swimming in saltwater or it was falling off the top of my moving car, my little phone never complained, remained tough, and always worked. It was a sad day when, after three and a half years, I had to “upgrade” to a Motorola Razr.

M56

While the M56 was tough, it was never tested or designed as a “rugged” device. I was very fortunate it survived, but for those whose lives rely upon the dependability of their electronics, chance does not satisfy. Many manufacturers have recognized the need for electronics able to withstand the harshest of environments, and have designed “rugged” products for use in situations as diverse as the battle field to deep freezers.

But how rugged is the “rugged” classification? Please comment below if you feel that I am far off…

What I have found has not surprised me. It seems that just as I can tell you I am really strong; unless you ask me how much I can bench-press, you really have no idea how true my claims of strength are. And even if I tell you how much I can lift, you are not sure if I am telling the truth. The same seems true for the classification of “rugged” within the electronics industry. Many have self-certified their products as rugged, or have developed internal testing procedures under which they qualify their products. So how do you know what you are getting, and how do you know which rugged product to buy? Let’s dig further.

The very first step you should complete is to determine exactly in what environment your product will be operating. Some of the various standards/tests include: low pressure altitude testing, high and low temperatures, rain (freezing and penetrating), various forms of shock (both while in operation and while off), humidity, growths (fungus, algae, rust), sand and dust, accelerations, explosions, and various types of vibration. As you can imagine, every product will meet different standard within each of these categories. And while phone A may be “rugged” when it relates to salt-water, phone B may be “rugged” as it relates to extreme temperatures.

Fortunately there are various standards in place for the testing of products as it relates to rugged use. The MIL-STD-810 (Department of Defense Test Method Standard for Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests) is a 500+ page document
(open at your own risk, it’s big) outlining the chamber test methods necessary to use when certifying a product to be rugged in a particular application for military use. This standard can be tailored for commercial use, and many products advertise that they meet MIL-STD-810 standards in various settings. For example, you will notice that the Olympus Stylus-Tough 8000 is MIL-STD-810 certified to certain levels as it relates to shock and temperature. But just because it’s rated as rugged does not mean you should take it onto the water slide (although in this case you can… see the video on this page).

Some companies certify themselves to the MIL-STD-810 standards, while others use outside auditing organizations to confirm their claims. If it were me, I would always require an external auditing organization to confirm the claims made (especially if the product is protecting the life of someone). Some companies have developed and branded their own systems of rugged classification. For instance, Sonim cell phones adhere to the “Rugged Performance Standards” set in place by Sonim. Take a look at the video. It is pretty neat. Though again, always make sure that an outside agency has substantiated the claims made by the manufacturer.

So just as I will tell you that I am very strong, and you would ask me to qualify my statements; so too should you always seek to qualify the statements made in regards to the rugged nature of various electronics. What do you need it to withstand? What standards does it claim to adhere to? Have those claims been substantiated by an outside agent?

Enjoy!

U.S. Consulates Help IPC APEX EXPO Exhibitors Reach Across Oceans and Borders to Develop Business and Partnerships

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., USA, December 18, 2009 — The U.S. Department of Commerce has chosen IPC APEX EXPO^TM as one of a select group of U.S. trade shows to participate in its International Buyer Program (IBP) for 2010. The event, produced by IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries®, was chosen by a vote of U.S. embassies, consulates and commercial centers worldwide. One measure was the show’s appeal to overseas visitors. In 2009, 15 percent of attendees came from 42 countries other than the United States.

“We’re pleased to be able to provide this exclusive opportunity to our exhibitors to help them expand their businesses globally,” says Kim Sterling, IPC vice president of marketing & communications. As one of only 36 U.S. trade shows in the IBP, IPC APEX EXPO has secured support from Commercial Service officers around the world who will reach out to their local regions to recruit qualified buyers, sales representatives and business partners to the event.

Country and industry experts from the U.S. Commercial Service will be on-site during IPC APEX EXPO to help companies with hands-on export counseling, marketing analysis and matchmaking services. In addition to the increased global promotion of the event, a special Export Interest Guide will be provided to all international attendees to give them an easy way to identify IPC APEX EXPO exhibitors who are interested in exporting to specific international markets.

Only IPC APEX EXPO 2010 exhibitors may participate in the IBP as suppliers. Information is available at www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org/IBP for current exhibitors. Companies that are interested in exhibiting should contact IPC Director of Trade Show Sales Mary Mac Kinnon at +1 847-597-2886 or MaryMacKinnon@ipc.org.

For more information on IPC APEX EXPO, visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org. Individuals who are interested in visiting the show as part of an international delegation should contact their local U.S. commercial specialist, embassy or consulate. Links to local consulates as well as information on obtaining visas, translated in eight languages, is available at www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org/international.

# # #

About IPC

IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 2,700 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $1.7 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Garden Grove, Calif.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; and Shanghai and Shenzhen, China.

Contact:

Anna Garrido, IPC Director of Marketing and Communications
+1 847-597-2804
AnnaGarrido@ipc.org

This is a complex question with a large number of factors.  One focus of the discussion could be on the pure technical limitations which will be reached according to the laws of physics, or you may consider the unlikelihood that we will ever meet a need that PCB’s can’t handle due to the high costs which would surround that new technology.

I hope to hear your input and comments.  Where do you see the technology going and needing to innovate?  How do you see system-in-a-package and 3D Integration being a factor?  I don’t even have all of the appropriate questions surrounding this topic, but I hope that the comments below will be full of insight and discussion.

Thanks!!

P.S. Someone should add to the wikipedia article about system-in-a-package.  It could use some help.

not sure what would happen if I brought this home

PCB East Website

LinkedIn Group

Do you, or any of your co-workers, plan on attending the PCB East 2009 Conference in Waltham-Boston, MA? If you do, you should join the LinkedIn group “PCB East Pre-Event Networking”. There you can begin to network with potential suppliers, customers, and colleagues. Why wait until that week to begin your research and to develop your relationships? Start now and ensure that your time there is spent efficiently. Feel free to discuss dinner options, happy hours, local events, and any other networking opportunities you might like to see occur that week.

It is amazing how flexible circuits allow intricate and complex electronics continue to decrease in size.  As flex and rigid-flex are developed, unique applications will continue to arise.  This picture really makes you wonder how complex in the inner workings of our most common, taken for granted, electronics are.