Investigation of alternative to gold contact finishes for telecom connector applications

Author

Kovács, Gizella ; Tóth, Klára

fYear

1990

fDate

20-24 Aug 1990

Firstpage

326

Lastpage

341

Abstract

Before introducing any alternative to gold contact finishes for connector contacts, several laboratory tests have to be completed. Such a test program was carried out with Pd finishes, low-carat gold platings, and silver alloy structures, with and without additional electroplated Au layers of 0.1-0.2 μm thicknesses. The connectors were of two types: one used in telecom PCM (pulse-code-modulation) equipment with 20 contact pairs, the other of the Eurocard connector geometry with 32 contact pairs. Combined testing by wear cycling, humidity and SO₂ treatments, and applying an ohmic load inside the climatic chambers, is reported. Contact behavior, wear characteristics, and the surface properties of the contacts are studied. Lubrication with a fluorinated composition, giving a liquid-type film on the contact surface, is also investigated

Keywords

electric connectors; electrical contacts; telecommunication equipment; wear; Ag alloys; Au; Eurocard connector geometry; PCM; Pd; connector contacts; humidity; lubrication; ohmic load; surface properties; telecom connector applications; wear cycling; Connectors; Contacts; Geometry; Gold alloys; Laboratories; Phase change materials; Silver; Surface treatment; Telecommunications; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Electrical Contacts, 1990. Proceedings of the Thirty-Sixth IEEE Holm Conference on ... and the Fifteenth International Conference on Electrical Contacts

Conference_Location

Montreal, Que.

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/HOLM.1990.113030

Filename

113030