Detection and Accelerated Testing of Vibration-Induced Connector Wear

Voltage drop and contact resistance, especially when the connector is at rest, are very insensitive to vibration-induced plating damage in connectors. The spectral analysis of the voltage drop, while the two members of the connector are undergoing relative sinusoidai micromotion and passing dc current, provides much more sensitive detection of wear and information about its extent. Monitoring the spectral content while inGreasing the vibration amplitude linearly with time is a potentially useful accelerated vibration life-test, although its quantitative application to the prediction of connector life for other vibration profiles is still uncertain. Gold-plated, tin-plated, and rhodium-plated printed circuit board edgecontacts, mating with commercial gold-plated socket contacts, have been investigated, with vibration parallel to the board fingers.