[sdiy] Tin Whiskers

[Magnus Danielson]

From: "Paul Schreiber" <synth1 at airmail.net>
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Tin Whiskers
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2005 08:46:34 -0600
Message-ID: <004e01c4f65a$049d3e40$0401a8c0 at bilbo>

Paul,

> > http://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker/photos/index.html
> >
> >
> 
> What is disturbing is the lead-frame pictures of the DIP IC showing dead shorts 
> between pins and the comment "..after 3 years of storage."
> 
> What about *30 year old* ICs??!?

That is exactly the kind of worries they have!

Some of the stuff may very well be 20 years old or more and must still be
functional, mostly since they don't want to redesign it even if that would be
a good thing.

Tin whiskers only shape under certain curcumstances it seems, but then they can
be very quick to grow. This is certainly one of the issues with the lead-free
as we have been discussing a bit earlier here.

Cheers,
Magnus