This is the article published in 2005 about the shutdown of the Millstone 
nuclear powerplant from a tin whisker:

http://tinyurl.com/fvccb

Steve

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob Landman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2010 3:00 PM
Subject: Re: [LF] [tinwhiskers] Re: Perfect opportunity for tin whiskers 
induced failures - Toyota did not install brake override systems despite 
complaints


AOL Autos - Toyota Pedal Recall Close Up

 Video:
  AOL Autos and Autoblog look at an actual pedal from Toyota's recall. 
Reilly Brennan and Sam Abuelsamid discuss how Toyota's gas pedal works  and 
what might be the source of the problems.  Also a discussion of how  to stop 
the vehicle if sudden acceleration does occur.
 http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid17181435001?bclid=0&bctid=64104531001Note that the sensor is a magnetic position sensor. (Hall effect, I think)Bob Landman    _____From: Bob Landman [mailto:[log in to unmask]]To: [log in to unmask], '(Leadfree Electronics Assembly Forum)'[mailto:[log in to unmask]]Sent: Sat, 30 Jan 2010 12:01:22 -0500Subject: [tinwhiskers] Re: Perfect opportunity for tin whiskers inducedfailures - Toyota did not install brake override systems despite complaints                good follow on article at LA Timeshttp://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-toyota-pedal30-2010jan30,0,790073,full.story"The Times has previously reported that consumer complaints of  unintendedacceleration surged in the years after the automaker  introduced electronicthrottles, by fivefold in some cases.  The electronic throttle system uses sensors, microprocessors and  electricmotors, rather than a traditional link such as a steel cable,  to connectthe driver's foot to the engine.  In recent interviews, two former NHTSA administrators, Ricardo Martinezand Joan Claybrook, have said they believe that some kind of electronicglitch may be causing the Toyota problems. Similar conclusions are  beingdrawn by independent automotive safety experts, forensic  mechanics andautomotive electronics researchers, as well as many  consumers."Bob Landman  _____From: Bob Landman [mailto:[log in to unmask]]To: [log in to unmask], '(Leadfree Electronics Assembly Forum)'[mailto:[log in to unmask]]Sent: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:05:03 -0500Subject: [tinwhiskers] Perfect opportunity for tin whiskers inducedfailures - Toyota did not install brake override systems despite complaintsJust as I predicted, the increased use of electronics in automobiles whenmixed with RoHS can make for a deadly cocktail.  We don't know (this article doesn't say) what the causative agent was, butI have heard recently of brand new autos showing up at dealers that will notstart.  That cause has been linked to tin whiskers.  I cannot fathom how foolish the industry was to rush to adopt lead-freemanufacturing without first solving the well known risks such as tinwhiskers.  When I read comments such as "SAC405 is known to suppress whiskergrowth" I have to laugh.  There is so much misinformation being cast about,it's ludicrous.  Toyoda better do as they've been advised if they are using lead-freemanufacturing (and even if they are not as the parts are lead-free now soeven IF you use SnPb solder you still will be subjected to tin whiskerinduced failures.  And people will die, make no mistake about that.  Bob Landman  Life Senior Member, IEEE  President, CTO  H&L Instruments,LLC  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012803971.html?wpisrc=nl_pmheadline  Toyota did not install brake override systems despite complaints  By Peter Whoriskey  Washington Post Staff Writer  Friday, January 29, 2010; A16  Toyota Motor began facing complaints of runaway cars years ago, but thecompany did not install "brake override" systems in those vehicles, even asseveral other automakers deployed the technology to address suchmalfunctions.  The brake override systems allow a driver to stop a car with the footbrakeeven if the accelerator is depressed and the vehicle is running at fullthrottle. The systems are an outgrowth of new electronics in cars,specifically in engine control.  "If the brake and the accelerator are in an argument, the brake wins," aspokesman at Chrysler said in describing the systems, which it beganinstalling in 2003.  Volkswagen, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz also install such systems in atleast some of their cars, the companies and industry experts said, some asfar back as 10 years ago. General Motors installs brake override in all ofits cars in which it is possible for the engine at full throttle tooverwhelm the brakes.  "Most other automakers have adopted this technology," said Sean Kane, aformer researcher at the Center for Auto Safety who now works at SafetyResearch and Strategies. Not adding the systems "is one of the mistakes thatcreated this perfect storm for Toyota."  Toyota did not respond Thursday to questions about its decisions involvingbrake override.  But at the Detroit Auto Show in December, Toyota North America PresidentYoshi Inaba said the company would begin equipping its vehicles with brakeoverride. His comments followed a November statement from the company thatthe override system would be made standard on Toyota and Lexus vehiclesstarting with some models in January 2010.  The precaution comes too late, however, to forestall a tsunami of negativepublicity that has engulfed the company since it halted production andsuspended sales of eight popular models after reports of unintendedacceleration. For a company that famously aimed to become the largestautomaker in the world by touting a reputation for reliability and safety,it has been a striking turnaround.  The company has blamed the accelerations on faulty floor mats and theirinstallation, as well as defective accelerator pedals, which they areseeking to redesign. The brake override systems, when they come, willprovide a measure of redundancy.  It was not immediately clear how much it would cost to install the brakeoverride systems, and industry experts said the costs of the controltechnology are difficult to measure.  "There's really no cost, but it's a critical skill issue -- we can onlyfind so many people who can do this kind of work," said a senior engineer ata major automaker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "It wouldrequire a bunch of software and development people to design it, but spreadacross lots of cars, the money involved would be negligible. . . . No onewants a runaway."  As far back as 2004, government investigators were looking at 2002-2003Toyota Camrys and Solaras and Lexus ES 300s to determine whether they weredefective, gathering information about 37 owner complaints of suddenacceleration, according to the Center for Auto Safety.  Automotive experts said that in at least some of those incidents, a brakeoverride system could have prevented harm.  In the accident that has drawn perhaps the most publicity, a 2009 Lexus ES350 raced through San Diego, weaving at 120 miles an hour through rush-hourfreeway traffic. Veteran California Highway Patrol officer Mark Saylor wasat the wheel, with his wife, teenage daughter and brother-in-law aboard.  "We're in trouble. . . . There's no brakes," Saylor's brother-in-law tolda police dispatcher over a cellphone. As they approached an intersection,and the end of the road, the passengers could be heard urging each other topray. All four died.  Afterward, investigators said that it appeared the brakes had been appliedfor so long that the brake pads melted, according to a report by theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Had a brake override system been at work, the engine would have beendepowered -- not turned off, but slowed.  Until recently, an accelerator pedal opened the throttle mechanically. Butnewer pedals control the engine via sensors and a computer.  The new throttle electronics and software have often themselves been thefocus of some suspicion in the runaway crashes.  Whatever the causes of accidents, engineers noted that there aretrade-offs in using brake override systems. For example, some customersprefer to be able to apply the brake and step on the accelerator withoutreducing power to the engine, especially in high-performance driving.  Toyota, moreover, is not the only automaker to eschew the fail-safetechnology.  In an e-mail, Honda spokeswoman Christina Ra said that "Honda and Acuravehicles do not apply any override logic between brake and accelerator pedalinputs. . . . We continue to accept application of the accelerator and brakepedals as representing the driver's intention."  But experts said that the value of the brake override systems is that theycan mitigate acceleration problems no matter where they come from. Toyota,as well as the NHTSA, appear to have struggled in diagnosing exactly what iscausing the trouble.  "A brake override system can paper over a multitude of mistakes," Kanesaid.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Leadfee Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8dTo unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text inthe BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF LeadfreeTo temporarily stop/(start) delivery of Leadree for vacation breaks send:SET Leadfree NOMAIL/(MAIL)Search previous postings at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archivesPlease visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or847-615-7100 ext.2815-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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