Prediction of remaining useful life (RUL) of ball-grid-array (BGA) interconnections during testing on the board level

In this paper, a printed circuit board (PCB) carrying surface mounted devices (SMD) subjected to impact or vibration loads applied to its support contour is considered. A model-based prognosis approach is employed to assess the remaining useful life (RUL) of the ball-grid-array (BGA) solder joint interconnections. The approach deals with the interaction (coupling) of the “fast” PCB vibration model and the “slow” low cycle fatigue damage model of BGA solder joint interconnections. The final goal is to predict the dynamic response of the board and the RUL of the solder joint material of the BGA interconnections. As the complete knowledge of these interconnected models are typically not available, a two-stage filtering process is used to estimate the fast and slow dynamics involved. The RUL of the BGA solder joint interconnections is then estimated based on the identified models.