The Number One Challenge for HALT
Abstract
Kirk and Fred discussing the common response from design engineers when a weakness is found in HALT that is well outside the specifications
Key Points
Join Kirk and Fred as they discuss the challenge of getting buy-in to improve an electronics systems margins above specifications, even if it is a low cost change
Topics include:
- Commercial competitive manufacturers are much more likely to increase the margins for reliability due to the fact that the customers can buy from several manufacturers when they are dissatisfied with its reliability
- A HALT application may be significantly different from classical HALT when targeting a specific failure mechanism, such as finding a mismatch of BGA underfill thermal coefficient of expansion causing BGA cracking.
- Understanding of failure mechanisms is key to all reliability testing, but how fatigue or chemical processes will produce cumulative damage that can be rapidly discovered with HALT is the key to getting other engineers to understand HALT methodology.
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SOR 460 The Number One Challenge for HALTKirk Gray
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Show Notes
Here is a link to Kirk’s book co-authored with John J. Paschkewitz available from Amazon “Next Generation HALT and HASS: Robust Design of Electronics and Systems”
I found that using cameras to document the effect of HALT was a huge benefit when trying to explain and convince other engineers/managers that a problem existed. In the large scree TV development at HP, I used the TV as the chamber sitting on a vibration table and attaching heaters and coolers to the TV intake vent. This allowed me to run the TV in different modes while stressing the TV with thermal cycling and vibration. The cameras found that the PCBs and cables were flexing and flying around inside the TV which eventually caused fractures and electrical opens. When I showed the images to the engineers, there was no question about my conclusions and recommendations.
Arthur thanks so much for first listening to our podcast and sharing your experience in showing how using video to record the latent defects from thermal cycling and vibration. Excellent example of a new way to convince the skeptics.
Kirk