The Definitive Guide to an Electronic Assembly Design Review / 15
Stress testing assesses your product's ability to maintain a certain level of
functionality under unfavorable conditions, such as extreme temperatures
or other environmental/physical stressors. Stress tests include highly
accelerated life testing (HALT), highly accelerated stress screen (HASS),
mechanical shock, vibration, etc., which uncovers weaknesses within a
product design much quicker than in the field.
When using stress tests to define operating margins, measurements are
taken of operating temperatures (or other specified stress risks) and
compared to the ratings of the individual components. If individual
components are operating close to their upper limits, then a variety of
parts will be tested at various capacities to determine which part will
sustain enough margin to prevent early failure.
8
Reliability Test Plan Development
