The success of surface-mount technology has not meant the end of through-hole connectors. For reasons ranging from availability to user concerns over reliability, through-hole connectors remain widely used. ...

Tin plating on a component lead makes its soldering easier. Everybody knows that. Not so well known is that tin plating has shelf life -- its ability to be easily soldered degrades over time. ...

Conventional wisdom says that tin plating should contain lead to prevent whiskering. ...

Practical current-carrying capacity is not an absolute, but an application-dependent condition. ...

Centro-symmetrical reflective (CSR) optics is a flexible techonology for making a variety of devices for controlling the path of light in a fiber-optic network. ...

This document is presented as seven linked pages of varying lengths. ...

This paper briefly examines reliability in general and as it relates to connectors. ...

This paper defines a framework for a digital design checklist. The intention is to provide a starting point that the designer can add to and modify. ...

This paper discusses line defect control through the use of defect monitors in semiconductor manufacturing. ...

A semiconductor factory goes through many phases in its life cycle including design, build, various ramps, and many levels of production. Maximizing the profitability and return on investment across this life-cycle is a critical component......