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It's Time to Move to
Reliability Physics
Analysis (RPA) for
Electronics Testing
With proven technology and methods available to perform electronics reliability testing of PCBAs in virtual
environments, many industry standards are being updated to require them. GM is moving toward complete
virtual validation of their equipment prior to any kind of physical testing; their GMW3172 standard explicitly
requires the use of RPA methodology for the evaluation of PCBAs. It includes general, environmental, and
durability specifications for electrical/electronic components.
While the RPA methodology does not require the use of FEA tools, Ansys Sherlock
has been designed from the ground up to facilitate the performance of these exact
types of calculations. Please read this short white paper to learn the advantages of
incorporating this tool into your electronics reliability workflow.
Standard Mechanical Loading for Electronic Assemblies
As more products have integrated electronics, PCBAs must be designed to be
robust to a variety of environmental conditions. Here are some common types of
mechanical loading in electronic assemblies that can be directly input into Sherlock
to be applied to an assembly:
1. Thermal Cycling in an operating or non-operating condition
2. Mechanical Shock from transportation or during operation
3. Random Vibration also from transportation or during operation
WHITEPAPER
Example
In the case where an ethylene glycol solution is being used to cool the engine of a truck, there is a very hot
coolant in a harsh environment operating at high temperatures. You need to understand how it will all work
and how the reliability of the assembly over the long term will be affected by the inputs.
