Dacia,

At 1 micro inch you might get 1 insertion depending on how long and
under what conditions the connector has been stored.

Immersion gold will "discolor" when the electroless nickel leaches
through and oxidizes then reacts with airborne contaminants and
moisture. This can happen in a matter of weeks in harsh conditions.

Electroplated gold is the only reusable plating for connectors. The
exact rate of wear depends on the insertion force and friction involved
during the mating process.

David A. Douthit
Manager
LoCan LLC

Dacia Super wrote:

>I have a question for all of you out there that source parts.
>
>My question specifically relates to connectors - and the evolution of said
>connectors.
>
>If, say, a connector had a thin layer of gold plating on the contact area -
>roughly 1 microinch of gold (minimum) - how many insertions would that
>connector be capable of before degradation of the gold surface area?
>
>Also - is it common practice these days, in light of the changing economic
>conditions and in the pursuit for ever cheaper options - to have a connector
>pin (the internal portion - where a board's gold fingers would be inserted
>into - I am not referring to the portion of the connector that is inserted
>through the board and soldered) that has been gold plated, but the utmost
>top portion of the connector is regular tin/HASL?
>
>And what type of contact retention force would be necessary to secure a
>module into a connector - through system build, shipment and long-term
>storage before sale of said system?
>
>
>Additional questions - will a gold finger surface (immersion gold) that has
>6 - 20 micro inches of gold ever burnish, discolor for any reason?  Or
>should it always be shiny and bright?  Will hard gold have the same cosmetic
>appearance as soft gold?
>
>
>If anyone has technical resources they could send my way related to this
>topic, I would greatly appreciate the assistance.  I have combed the Tech
>Net archives (found a lot of great info - but not an answer to this specific
>question) and I have also acquired the discontinued MIL spec MIL-G-45024.
>Unfortunately, these areas didn't really help me.  So, I figured that I
>would ask the experts the directly!!!
>
>Thanks.
>-D
>
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