International Electrotechnical Commission

Connectors for electronic equipment – Tests and measurements – Part 16-21: Mechanical tests on contacts and terminations – Test 16u: Whisker test via the application of external mechanical stresses - Edition 1.0
 N 60512-16-21

Annotation

Scope and object

This part of IEC 60512, when required by the detail specification, is used for testing connectors within the scope of IEC technical committee 48. It may also be used for similar devices when specified in a detail specification.

The object of this standard is to define a standard test method to assess the possibility of whisker growth by external mechanical stress on the tin and tin-alloy plated parts of a connector in its application (after wire termination, after soldering, after mounting, mated with counterpart).

This standard does not cover internal stress type whisker.

NOTE 1 The test method dealing with internal stress type whisker, which is caused by the formation of intermetallic compound by diffusion, or by the formation of oxide film of the plating surface, or by the difference between coefficients of thermal expansion, is specified in IEC 60068-2-82.

While for internal stress type whisker, it is possible to apply accelerated test conditions, e.g.: by damp heat or temperature cycling, for the external mechanical stress type whisker covered by this standard, due to the different whisker generation mechanism, there are no accelerated conditions. The test detailed in this standard shall then be conducted under normal ambient conditions.

NOTE 2 Physical changes during the application process may cause changes of the material qualities, so that this test cannot be used as a qualification test of a connector in ‘as produced' condition.