A system and method for performing time-dependent reliability prediction of a printed circuit board (PCB) embedded in a sensor that monitors the health (viz., performance) of operating equipment subject to different environmental stressors. The method includes developing a digital twin (DT) of the physical PCB, generating sensor data, transmitting the sensor data, and receiving sensor data and historical conditional data by the twinning module, wherein the historical condition data includes known failure data of one or more electronic components of the circuit board based on an internal condition or and external condition. The method further includes embedded physics-based reliability models informed by inputs from the sensor data and the historical conditional data, generating a real-time failure prediction signal based on the physics-based reliability models, and reporting the real-time failure prediction signal. The circuit board may include printed circuit boards (PCBs), particularly additively-manufactured printed circuit boards (AM-PCBs).

Disclosed is a system and method for monitoring a characteristic of an environment of an electronic device. The electronic device may include a printed circuit board and a component. A sensor is placed on the printed circuit board, and may be between the component and the board, and connects to a monitor, or detector. An end user device may be used to store, assess, display and understand the data received from the sensor through the monitor.

Technologies are described herein for enabling the automated testing of remote control units by providing a suitable test system that includes a plurality of test stations for simultaneously testing a plurality of remote control units. Each test station includes features that allow it to interact with the remote control unit's inputs, such as buttons and microphone, and outputs, such as IR and RF remote control codes, status LEDs, and audio output. Each test station may be controlled by a controller that executes test scripts or other routines that exercise the functionality of the remote control unit as desired.

In one example, a first tubular member has a first diameter and is configured to attach to a printed circuit board. A second tubular member has a second diameter different from the first diameter and is configured to hold an environmental sensor for collecting data relating to an environment of the printed circuit board. The second tubular member is vertically adjustable relative to the first tubular member.

A deterioration detection device for a printed circuit board includes a monitoring conductor and a voltage supply conductor for supplying voltage/current arranged on the printed circuit board with an arbitrary clearance. A voltage Vx is applied to the voltage supply conductor at a plurality of points. A voltage (0 V) lower than the voltage Vx for the voltage supply conductor is applied to the monitoring conductor through a resistor. An amplifier circuit amplifies a voltage Vy for the monitoring conductor and outputs an output voltage Vout. If the printed circuit board is deteriorated and an insulation resistance Ry between the monitoring conductor and the voltage supply conductor is reduced, the output voltage Vout increases, so that deterioration of the printed circuit board can be detected.

A test module, is provided including a tester that electrically tests a semiconductor device. A device under test (DUT) board is connected to the tester and the semiconductor device. A base board is disposed between the DUT board and the tester. The base board includes a lower plate, a plurality of connection lines that penetrate the lower plate, an upper plate disposed on the lower plate, and a first temperature controller disposed in the base board. The first temperature controller maintains the connection lines at a first temperature. A docking connector is disposed on the first temperature controller. The docking connector connects the connection lines to the DUT board. A second temperature controller is disposed between the first temperature controller and the upper plate. The second temperature controller maintains the docking connector at a second temperature different from the first temperature.

An integrated circuit (IC) having a heat-generating element, such as a power MOSFET, a current-carrying conductor coupled to the heat-generating element, a sense conductor adjacent the current-carrying conductor, and a failure-detection circuit coupled to the sense conductor. When thermal cycling of the IC causes the resistance of the sense conductor to become greater than a temperature-dependent threshold value, the failure-detection circuit generates a signal indicating that the integrated circuit will soon fail. The resistance of the sense conductor is determined by injecting a current into the sense conductor to generate a voltage. The temperature-dependent threshold value is a voltage generated by injecting a current into a reference conductor disposed away from the current-carrying and sense conductors. A voltage comparator compares the two voltages to generate the output. Alternatively, the failure-detection circuit includes a processor that calculates the temperature-dependent threshold value from a temperature measurement taken on the integrated circuit.

In a power supply system, a high-side (HS) insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) has a first collector, a first gate, and a first emitter. A low-side (LS) IGBT has a second collector coupled to the first emitter, a second gate, and a second emitter. A gate drive circuit is coupled to the first gate of the HS IGBT and the second gate of the LS IGBT. A control circuit is coupled to the gate drive circuit. The control circuit is configured to control the gate drive circuit for biasing the HS IGBT to a HS saturation, and determine a HS degradation of the HS IGBT based on a HS digitized gate voltage of the HS IGBT in the HS saturation.

A method for determining the remaining usability of a semiconductor module in normal use. The semiconductor module is thermally coupled to a cooling device. A predefined electrical load is applied to the semiconductor module while predefined cooling is effected by the cooling device. A temperature of a semiconductor element of the semiconductor module is sensed at least for the predefined electrical load on the semiconductor module. The sensed temperature is compared with a comparison temperature in a first comparison. The comparison temperature is assigned to the predefined electrical load with the predefined cooling, and prediction data for the remaining usability of the semiconductor module in normal use up to a usability end are determined at least in accordance with the first comparison.

This document describes techniques and apparatuses including a solder joint damage-prevention mode for a computing device. In general, the computing device may enter the solder joint damage-prevention mode to transfer heat to solder joints and prevent failure mechanisms such as fracture, creep, and/or fatigue. The solder joint damage-prevention mode may rely upon one or more operations, including identifying a state of the computing device in or following which damage to the solder joints has an increased likelihood and, in response, activating a thermal-conditioning system. The thermal-conditioning system may, in general, increase a temperature of the solder joints to improve mechanical robustness of the solder joints.