Brian,
Several years ago, in a workshop at one of the first Product Safety
Engineering Society (PSES) symposiums, the question came up: "How can
you certify software for safety-critical applications?"
One of the people in the audience answered "Treat the software as a
switch with two positions, ON or OFF. Then ask yourself, what will
happen if the switch is in the wrong position?"
At that time our answer was that you need hardware to provide safety--
electronic, electrical, mechanical, or something. But don't trust
software.
With the advent of lead-free, RoHS-compliant electronics, I now don't
trust electronics either. When it is *my* health or safety on the line,
I ask:
* What can happen if *any* one solder joint goes open?
* What can happen if *any* two points within 10mm of each other-- that
aren't separated by some kind of physical insulating barrier-- become
shorted to one another? (But see "conductive anodic filaments",
CAF, where short circuits can develop inside of lead-free printed
circuit boards.)
Because of the conversion to lead-free electronics, I don't trust *any*
electronic device, or item with a high electronic content, manufactured
after 2005. I'm only buying new (built after 2005) electronics if:
1. I can't find a suitable item manufactured before 2006 (maybe used,
such as from E-bay).
2. I figure it will repay its purchase cost within 3 months (I believe
that *most* lead-free electronics will last at least one year,
versus 20+ years use that we can get from lead-based electronics).
AND
3. It is not manufactured in Europe. If the only suitable product is
manufactured in the European Union, which passed the RoHS Directive
starting all of this mess, I will do without...
For electronics manufactured since the beginning of 2006, I recommend to
friends:
* If it is AC powered. unplug it when it is not in use.
* If it is battery powered, remove or disconnect the battery when it is
not in use.
I have been studying electronics for 49 years, and working fulltime in
the electronics/computer industry for 37 years. I spent 2003 writing my
books Robust Electronic Design Reference Book, Volumes I and II
http://www.dbicorporation.com/book-out.htm
on how to design and develop electronic products and equipment.
Since December 2004 I have been studying lead-free electronics, to see
if there is a way to make high-quality, reliable, long-life electronics
that are also RoHS-compliant. So far I haven't seen any way to meet
both sets of requirements simultaneously...
My 1,000+ page, nearly 4MB Bibliography for Designing Lead-Free,
RoHS-Compliant, and WEEE-Compliant Electronics is at
http://www.dbicorporation.com/rohsbib.htm
and covers over 250 books, over 220 PH. D. and Masters theses, and well
over 15,875 papers, magazine articles, reports, web pages, etc. on these
topics.
John Barnes KS4GL, PE, NCE, NCT, ESDC Eng, ESDC Tech, PSE, SM IEEE
dBi Corporation
http://www.dbicorporation.com/
-
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