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FEATURES

Electrical Test
Capacitor Testing Challenges and Solutions
Capacitors are widely used for bypassing, coupling, filtering and tunneling electronic circuits. However, to be useful, their capacitance value, voltage rating, temperature coefficient and leakage resistance must be characterized. Although capacitor manufacturers perform these tests, many electronics assemblers also perform some of these tests as quality checks. A look at the challenges associated with capacitor testing, and some of the test techniques used.
by Dale Cigoy



Cover Story
Under-Component Cleaning: How Low Can You Go?
Preventing field failures due to electrochemical migration used to be relatively easy: Use a water-soluble flux and clean the board after soldering. This solution no longer holds true, and sometimes causes more problems than it prevents.
by Harald Wack, Ph.D., Umut Tosun, Joachim Becht, Ph.D., Helmut Schweigart, Ph.D., and Chrys Shea

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Use proper protection.
  Mike Buetow

• Talking Heads
  In a Flash.
  AsteelFlash’s Georges Garic.
  Mike Buetow

• Database
  Not a standard opinion.
  Pete Waddell

MONEY MATTERS

• Global Sourcing
  Can high-mix, low-volume production succeed in China?
  Carl Hung

• ROI
  Certifiable.
  Peter Bigelow

• Focus on Business
  Why one size doesn’t fit all.
  Susan Mucha

TECH TALK

• Designer’s Notebook
  DfM, properly applied.
  Max Clark
  

• Screen Printing
  Climate check.
  Clive Ashmore

• Defects Database
  Excess flux and PoP.
  Dr. Davide Di Maio

• Getting Lean
  When metrics fail.
  Tony Bellito

• SMT Troubleshooting
  A bridge from the printer.
  Paul Lotosky

• Tech Tips
  Show me your papers.
  ACI Technologies Inc.

• Technical Abstracts
  In case you missed it.