Examination of contaminant-induced faults in connectors

This paper describes the results of an investigation into the effects of salt water exposure on cable connector impedances. A series of tests were performed to explore the shunting resistance across the pins of wiring harness connectors. The test results show that salt-induced corrosion and moisture may cause intermittent shunting resistances capable of affecting the normal operation of various systems. One important test result is that the induced shunting resistances are a nonlinear function of the applied voltage. This non-linear behavior can be important when evaluating the ESD or radiated RF susceptibility of products that may be exposed to a salt-water environment. An equivalent circuit based on measurements is developed to model the behavior of various salt-water/metal electrode interactions.