The ratings on electronic parts and selection of their use for
an application environment are a matter of concern for engineers in all industries.
There are standards available for derating of parts that are not application specific
and often outdated. This course will discuss the part ratings, how ratings are
developed, and what their implications are in selecting the use environment for
parts to meet the reliability and performance requirements of the system.
Several industries, including avionics, automotive, military,
and telecommunication are facing problems with obtaining electronic
parts rated for the temperature range required for operation. Legacy
parts rated for extended temperature ranges (e.g., military,
industrial, automotive) are being discontinued by semiconductor
manufacturers. In addition, more advanced and affordable
functionalities (e.g., low voltage, low power) are being introduced,
but only for narrower temperature ranges. To stay competitive, both
technically and economically, industries may need to consider using
parts whose data sheet temperature limits are not broad enough to meet
the application environment. Uprating is one alternative for mitigating
this problem. This course will also introduce the participants to the
design, assembly, test, legal and cost issues related to uprating.
Examples and case studies will be presented to illustrate each point.
(This course can be customized to address electronic part derating.)
