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SAMTEC LABORATORY TEST PROCEDURES TEST LAB PROCEDURAL MANUAL
TCXXXXXXXX
INITIAL RELEASE

©Samtec, Inc.
Page 1 of 18
Revised: 1/31/2008











SAMTEC LABORATORY
TEST PROCEDURES


FIGURE, TABLE AND PARAGRAPH DESIGNATIONS HAVE
BEEN MAINTAINED AS IN THE ORIGINAL INDIVIDUAL
DOCUMENTS




TEST LAB PROCEDURAL MANUAL
TCXXXXXXXX
INITIAL RELEASE

©Samtec, Inc.
Page 2 of 18
Revised: 1/31/2008
TLPM-032
CURRENT CARRYING CAPACITY
1.

Purpose

1.1.

To determine the amount of current the device under test (DUT) can safely carry
over the operating temperature range of the DUT.
1.2.

Contact loading will also be addressed in this document which will determine
how much current can be carried as the number of energized contacts is varied.


2.

Definitions

DUT

Device Under Test


3.

Reference Documents
3.1.

EIA-364-70, Temperature Rise Versus Current Test Procedure for Electrical
Connectors and

Sockets

3.2.

Samtec Document; TLSC 0002, Automated TempRise Software

3.3.

Samtec Document; TLWI 0005, Thermocouple Calibration Work

Instruction

3.4.

Samtec Document; TLOP 0006, Automated Temperature Rise Versus Current
Measurement

3.5.

EIA-364-06 Contact Resistance

4.

Samples

4.1.

Three samples shall be tested for each loading configuration. The DUTs shall be
configured as follows:

4.2.

For single row power connectors the following configurations are to be tested:
4.2.1.

1 contact energized only
4.2.2.

2 contacts energized adjacent to each other
4.2.3.

3 contacts energized adjacent to each other
4.2.4.

4 contacts energized adjacent to each other
4.2.5.

All contacts energized (list actual number tested)
4.3.

For double row power connectors the following configurations are to be tested:
4.3.1.

2x1 contact energized only
4.3.2.

2x2 contacts energized adjacent to each other
4.3.3.

2x3 contacts energized adjacent to each other
4.3.4.

2x4 contacts energized adjacent to each other
4.3.5.

All contacts energized (list actual number tested)
4.4.

The following defines the sample/thermocouple designations and the data
acquisition channel connections:
4.4.1.

1 contact energized: Samples 1 through 3, connected to Channels 1 - 3
4.4.2.

2 contacts energized: Samples 4 through 6, connected to Channels 4 - 6
4.4.3.

3 contacts energized: Samples 7 through 9, connected to Channels 7 - 9
4.4.4.

4 contacts energized: Samples 10 through 12, connected to Channels 10 -
12
4.4.5.

All contacts energized: Samples 13 through 15, connected to Channels 13
15
4.4.6.

Ambient temp and Wire temp will be monitored on channels 16 and 17 TEST LAB PROCEDURAL MANUAL
TCXXXXXXXX
INITIAL RELEASE

©Samtec, Inc.
Page 3 of 18
Revised: 1/31/2008
5.

Setup

5.1.

All test samples shall be wired in a series circuit in accordance with Table 1 and
Table 2 below to insure equal current through all samples.
5.2.

Five positions on the 100% samples shall also be wired for Voltage Drop
measurements.
5.3.

A thermocouple shall be placed as close to the contact interface as possible such
as the locations indicated by the red dot and arrow in Figure 1.

Figure 1



5.4.

When necessary, a small hole shall be drilled through the connector body at the
proper location to allow a thermocouple to be placed at the contact interface.

Figure 2

TEST LAB PROCEDURAL MANUAL
TCXXXXXXXX
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©Samtec, Inc.
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Revised: 1/31/2008
5.5.

A small amount of non-silicone, heat sink compound shall be placed at the tip of
the thermocouple prior to installation in order to improve the thermal transfer
characteristics of the contact/thermocouple interface (indicated below in green).

Figure 3



5.6.

Said thermocouple/s shall be mechanically stabilized using small blocks of
adhesive foam as illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 4



5.7.

The hole shall be sealed with tape or putty after the thermocouple is installed.
5.8.

One thermocouple shall be placed in the ambient environment within the test
chamber held in the fixture as specified in EIA-364-70.
5.9.

One thermocouple shall be placed on the supply wire/cable or PCB as applicable
to insure that the wire/cable/PCB is not influencing to the test data.
Thermocouple Wires
Thermocouple Wire Jacket
Thermocouple Weld
Heat Sink Compound
Pin
Under
Test
Socket
Under
Test TEST LAB PROCEDURAL MANUAL
TCXXXXXXXX
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©Samtec, Inc.
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Revised: 1/31/2008
5.10.

The DUTs shall be placed in one of the test chambers (enclosure) designated to
shield against external airflow. Use an appropriate enclosure of sufficient size
to accommodate the DUTs as follows:
5.10.1.

The DUTS shall be suspended in free air. In the event free air suspension
not feasible, a low thermal conduction material (e.g., plastic, wood, glass-
epoxy board, etc.) shall be used for support, provided a maximum of 20%
of the DUTs surface is in contact with the insulating surface. Samples
shall be arranged horizontally and shall meet the following requirements:
5.10.2.

DUTs shall be mounted a minimum of 8 inches (20 centimeters) from the
walls of the test chamber.
5.10.3.

Specimens shall be no closer than 6 inches (15 centimeters) from the top
of the enclosure or room.
5.10.4.

If free air suspension is used, the specimens shall be a minimum of 2
inches (5 centimeters) above the bottom of the room or enclosure.
5.10.5.

See Figures 5 and 6 for typical specimen mounting and wiring layout.

Figure 5




Figure 6
TEST LAB PROCEDURAL MANUAL
TCXXXXXXXX
INITIAL RELEASE

©Samtec, Inc.
Page 6 of 18
Revised: 1/31/2008

TEST LAB PROCEDURAL MANUAL
TCXXXXXXXX
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©Samtec, Inc.
Page 7 of 18
Revised: 1/31/2008

5.11.

Printed circuit board components
5.11.1.

Any DUT that is meant to be printed circuit board (PCB) mounted in
actual use shall be tested on an appropriate PCB as would be used in the
final application.
5.11.2.

For PCB mounted devices, the current carrying traces shall be capable of
carrying the maximum current that is to be applied without contributing to
the thermal increase of the DUT being measured. See table 1 below.
5.11.3.

Optionally, wires can be attached directly to the terminations of the
device.
5.11.4.

EIA-364-70 recommends the trace technique not be utilized for test
currents greater than 13 amperes. See Table 2 for wire/conductor
requirements.
5.12.

A digital photograph shall be taken of one test sample prepared for test,
with thermocouple installed. This photo shall be stored in the folder with the test
data.

6.

PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD AND WIRE SPECIFICATIONS

Table 1

TEST
CURRENT
EQUIVALENT
WIRE SIZE
TRACE
WIDTH
TRACE
LENGTH
Amps AWG cm in cm in
0.1
36
0.03 0.01 1.30 0.50
0.5
32
0.06 0.03 2.30 0.90
1.5
28
0.13 0.05 3.00 1.20
2.0
26
0.19 0.08 3.80 1.50
3.0
24
0.25 0.10 4.30 1.70
7.5
20
0.64 0.25 6.90 2.70
13.0
16
1.27 0.50 9.40 3.70

Notes from the EIA:
1.

The above trace widths and lengths are based on 1.0 oz copper.
2.

The table applies to single sided test boards. Put in the multi-layer and double-sided calcs from the
pcb calculator
3.

Minimum length is a slight function of temperature rise criteria assumed that is 30°C. For
temperature rise criteria less than 30°C, these values are conservative. TEST LAB PROCEDURAL MANUAL
TCXXXXXXXX
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©Samtec, Inc.
Page 8 of 18
Revised: 1/31/2008
Table 2


CONDUCTOR CHARACTERISTICS
Wire Size
Test current
Minimum Wire
Length
AWG
amperes
cm
in
36 0.9
4
1.5
34 1.2
5
2.0
32 1.5
5
2.0
30 2.0
8
3.0
28 2.7
9
3.5
26 3.6
11
4.5
24 4.8
14
5.5
22 6.4
16
6.5
20 8.5
20
8.0
18 11
25
10.0
16 15
29
11.5
14 20
36
14.0
12 27
42
16.5
10 35
50
19.5
8
47
57
22.5
6
63
67
26.5
4
84
79
31.0
2
111
93
36.5
0
148
108
42.5
00
171
117
46.0
000
197
126
49.5
0000
227
136
53.5

7.

Testing
7.1.

The data acquisition system used will measure the Temperature Rise and Voltage
Drop of all positions being tested.
7.1.1.

Seventeen calibrated thermocouples shall be connected to channels one
through seventeen of the acquisition scanner card.
7.1.2.

Fifteen pairs of Voltage Drop wires will be connected from samples
thirteen through fifteen to channels eighteen through thirty-two.
7.2.

The series circuit of test samples shall be connected to an appropriate power
supply, capable of the required power levels (see section 9.1).

7.3.

Once the above set up and preparations are completed the computer program
shall be initialized and the test allowed to run to completion.

7.4.

Temperature and Voltage Drop measurements shall be performed in accordance
with EIA-364-70B.
7.5.

Testing will be perf