Hi Roger The board has not been tested yet. We do perform an ICT test later, but even so - no triangular probes on it, they are crown shaped. The board has been through the wave solder. >>> [log in to unmask] 03/09/07 11:44AM >>> Do you perform FCT or ICT in-house? Is assembly wave-soldered or reflow w/manual soldering? First guess would be a problem with flying-probe tester probe... Roger -----Original Message----- From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Graham Collins Sent: Friday, March 09, 2007 10:40 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [TN] whodunit? Hello Technet! I've got a mystery today. A colleague showed me a board, it's got some unique damage on it. It is the only one of maybe a thousand identical assemblies, the rest do not have this damage. Throughout the bottom side of the board there are damaged through-hole pads. The damage is an impact hole, where something triangular in shape has in some cases literally punched through the pad. In some cases there is a lighter mark on the pad and/or on adjacent solder mask. The damaged pads are scattered throughout the board, they aren't restricted to one area. In some cases where there is damage there is visible exposed copper. Some facts 1) the board went through our assembly process without incident until inspection 2) no unusual equipment malfunctions have been reported recently here - so I don't think it is something we did. 3) The board is received with HASL finish on the pads, and is wave soldered. 4) In all cases the damage is at a through-hole pad, some overlaps the pad onto bare FR4/solder mask, but in all cases the damage at least touches a pad. 5) the board also has SMT parts on the bottom side, we glue parts on and wave solder attach them. No damage has been identified on these pads. I'm concluding that: - we don't have any equipment capable of doing this type of damage to a PWB with such precision. - because there is exposed copper, whatever happened likely took place after HASL coating. At this point my theory is that the electrical test at the PWB shop did this, but it's a theory. Can you PWB guys advise, is this possible? Where else would something triangular have the potential to whack the pads? As I said already, it's only one - but I hate an unsolved mystery! Please help. regards, Graham Collins Process Engineer, L-3 Communications Electronic Systems Inc. Halifax (902) 873-2000 ext 6215 --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 ----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 ----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 -----------------------------------------------------