AMP published a paper on this thin-gold topic for 'AMP Engineers Week'
in 1997, called 'A Perspective On The Characteristics Of Thin Gold
Platings'.  It's part of a larger bound publication and should be
available from AMP.  I suggest you call Bob Kuhn at 717-986-3631, who
manages the Technical Information Center.  He/they should be able to
help.


>       -----Original Message-----
>       From:   Carlos R. Robert [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>       Sent:   Friday, February 06, 1998 2:30 PM
>       To:     [log in to unmask]
>       Subject:        [TN] Gold for edge-board connectors thickness
>
>       Hello,
>
>       Although IPC-6012 specifies a minimum thickness of 0.8
> micrometers (30
>       micro inches) of gold for Class 1 and 2 edge-board connectors,
> it seems
>       that more and more suppliers are suggesting thinner and thinner
> gold
>       plating as a low cost alternative.
>
>       Looking back into this forum's archives, I found the 1995 tread
> 'Where
>       did 30m" for gold Tab plating come from?'  with very good
> information
>       but no definite answer.  One poster performed an experiment
> about
>       thickness and connection cycles (see attached message fragment),
> and
>       found out that a 20m" finger gave up at about 10 cycles.  If
> these
>       results are still valid (I don't see why not), how come PCB
> vendors are
>       even suggesting flash gold (2 to 7 micro inches) as an
> acceptable
>       option?
>
>       I also posed this question (via E-mail) to two connector
> manufacturers,
>       AMP and Burndy.  AMP answered immediately but did not provide a
> definite
>       thickness (I got their connector's specs and insertion rates
> thought).
>       I have not received a reply from Burndy yet.
>
>       Do anyone has more information or pointers about this issue?
> Has
>       technology advanced so much that thin flash gold is acceptable
> for
>       edge-board connectors in a Class 1 product?
>
>       Thanks,
>
>
>       Carlos R. Robert
>       Hewlett-Packard Puerto Rico
>
                [Rhoads, Randall E]  <previous message deleted>

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