Hi Jeff - Rhodium was used in several connector applications at one time.
Unfortunately, due to the hard, brittle nature of rhodium plating a lot of
care is needed in selecting base finish/rhodium combinations so that
plating cracking doesn't occur in service. There were numerous field
failures in the connector arena due to the some poor applications (i.e.
cracked rhodium finish over copper plus water = corrosion). The cost of
rhodium is another reason for its lack of use.  One good article that has
rhodium information is:

"Connector Reliability in The Military Environment", S. Koford, Connnector
Technology, May 1989, page 19-22.

Dave Hillman
Rockwell Collins
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[log in to unmask] on 01/07/98 11:20:44 AM

Please respond to [log in to unmask]; Please respond to [log in to unmask]

To:   [log in to unmask]
cc:    (bcc: David D Hillman/CedarRapids/Collins/Rockwell)
Subject:  Re: [TN] Gold Plating Question




Mitchell, James wrote:
>
> Hello!
>
> I am looking for guidance on choosing gold plating thicknesses and
> plating processes for circuit board edge fingers.  For example: What are
> the recommendations for circuit board edge fingers that will be inserted
> into a connector and removed 10 times verses a installation/removal
> cycle of 50 times?
>
> Are there any references on the subject?  Any help will be greatly
> appreciated!
>
        No help from me, just more questions!
        I recall from the 70's that there was once an alternate
        underplate for longer life in the like of extender boards
        or diagnostic plug-ins.  I seem to recall specifying gold
        over rhodium for lives of 100s of insertions.
        Is this still done?
--
      Jeff Seeger                             Applied CAD Knowledge Inc
      Chief Technical Officer                      Tyngsboro, MA  01879
      jseeger "at" appliedcad "dot" com                    978 649 9800
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