Anomalous Behavior of Reed Relays Under Accelerated Life-Test Conditions

Experiments on reed relays are described which show that their performance during accelerated life tests (frequency of operation 5 Hz or greater) is a function of the rate at which the relays are operated and deteriorates at higher rates. The time for which the relays are left open between operations is critical in determining the bounce, vibration, and wear. At least 90 ms are required to avoid effects introduced by accelerating the tests. The results of tests using the longer off times show a marked improvement in performance under low-level conditions (0.1 V, l-mA resistive load) and a smaller improvement under high-level conditions (50 V, 50 mA with a resistor and 10-m cable load). An explanation is proposed in terms of the effects caused by closing reeds while the blades are still vibrating from the previous operation.