Vibration simulation and fatigue life estimation of a printed circuit board using a validated model

An electronic package consists of printed circuit boards (PCBs) placed in a casing joined together. Electronic circuit boards should operate properly in different conditions including thermal cycling, vibrations, and mechanical shock. Printed circuit boards require to be analyzed electrically as well as mechanically for optimized performance. In this paper, the finite element analysis (FEA) of a PCB is carried out in ANSYS and the results are validated utilizing modal testing. The natural frequencies and mode shapes of the PCB are determined, and the effect of mechanical shock on the PCB is also evaluated. The results demonstrate that the PCB has three resonance frequencies in the range of 0-1000 Hz. The mode shapes related to each natural frequency are also obtained employing ANSYS software. These data can be used for fatigue life estimation and mechanical shock analysis. In this work, the fatigue life estimation of wires and solder joints under sinusoidal and random vibrations are estimated as well by using the Steinberg's method. The results illustrate that random vibration has more impact than harmonic vibration on the fatigue life of solder joints and wires according to the Peugeot standard. Also, the results have passed the Peugeot standard qualification in both random and harmonic vibrations.