(Image credit: Samtec)
Samtec recently announced the development of its Severe Environment Testing (SET) protocol, a qualification standard designed to test the reliability of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) interconnects employed in extreme environments, including those in aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, and industrial.
SET is based on the VITA 47.0 and 47.3 standards, but expands on them to include more rigorous testing for factors such as temperature cycling, dielectric withstanding voltage at high altitudes, electrostatic discharge, vibration, and mechanical shock, which pushes interconnects beyond traditional Design Qualification Testing (DQT) and Extended Life Product (ELP) testing.
SET tests simulate real-world conditions, including humidity, extreme temperature ranges, and extensive mating/unmating cycles. For example, SET subjects components to 100% humidity over a 10-day period, conducts 250 mating cycles, and temperatures ranging from -65°C to +125°C, while also undergoing tests for electrostatic discharge up to 15kV and high-altitude voltage tolerance.
These rigid qualifications make SET-approved connectors an ideal solution for applications that include aerospace and defense systems, such as radar and communication systems. They also include automotive systems like EV power management and autonomous driving, industrial automation, IIoT and robotics, medical equipment, high-density data centers, and more.
With that in mind, Samtec offers flexible, stacking interconnect solutions that have met or exceeded SET standards and feature adaptable, space-saving options for connecting PCBs in multiple configurations, and provide various contacts and pitch options for a wide range of applications. More information on Samtec's SET testing standards and the company's interconnects can be found in Element 14's article entitled "Severe Environment Testing for Interconnect Solutions in Rugged Environments."
Have a story tip? Message me at: http://twitter.com/Cabe_Atwell