Overcoming Human Factors by Utilizing Design Modeling to Improve High Reliability Electronics

It has been seen on a fairly frequent basis that the selection of components and materials for a design of an electronic product are not the best choices to assure that the product will be capable of functioning for its intended lifetime in its intended environments. This human factor element can be obviated through the use of advanced modeling of the materials, solder joints, printed circuit boards, components and potting compounds (if needed). A high reliability electronic assembly is a complex interaction of materials that depends on the harmonious interface of their various mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. Identifying and correcting design flaws later in the product development cycle is extremely costly, with the worstcase scenario being discovering design problems after failures occur in the field. Implementing a reliability prediction analysis tool to assess the human factors input to the design will forever change this equation.