Web tool helps predict electronics product life span

A new software is available over the World Wide Web to help systems engineers predict how long new electronic components will last. The product life calculator, available from Process Sciences Inc. of Leander, Texas, helps determine the temperature/ humidity chamber time necessary to predict product life span. The prediction is based on electromigration and electrochemical failure of the circuit and component materials from fluxes and other process contaminates. The calculator uses the Arrhenius equation for predicting chemical rates of reaction to project the accelerated test time and temperature/humidity to anticipate product life spans. It is available at http://www.process- sciences.com/. For more information, contact Process Sciences by phone at 512-259-7070, by fax at 512-259-7073, or by post at 3585 C.R. 272 suite 400, Leander, Texas 78641. — J.K.