Board Level Drop Test with Real-Time Resistance Monitoring: New BLR Measurement Method at Toptester

Toptester introduces a new method for testing the fault tolerance of electronic components in board level drop tests. This board level reliability (BLR) measurement method records component resistance, acceleration and strain at the same time. The result is a more complete and accurate picture of how durable a product is and how it actually behaves under load.

What is board level reliability (BLR) testing?

Board level reliability (BLR) testing evaluates the mechanical durability and environmental robustness of electronic components mounted on printed circuit boards (PCBs). BLR tests simulate real operating conditions such as mechanical shock, temperature changes and vibration, to make sure components work reliably in demanding applications. The method is based on international standards such as JEDEC, MIL and IEC, and is widely used in defense, automotive and industrial applications.

Limitations of conventional drop tests

Conventional drop tests usually rely on an event detector. The system applies a constant voltage to the test channel and flags an electrical discontinuity when the measured voltage exceeds a predefined threshold. This catches even very short interruptions. However, it does not give accurate resistance values during the test, and it says little about how mechanical load and electrical failure are connected. Acceleration and strain are also not usually measured at the same time, which limits how precise the analysis can be.

New real-time method: resistance, strain and acceleration measured simultaneously

With the new BLR method, we measure component resistance, PCB strain and acceleration simultaneously during the board level drop test. The combined measurement captures both the intensity of the impact and the deformation of the component or PCB. The data shows that resistance discontinuities can be detected in real time during the test, and that failure onset correlates with specific acceleration and strain values.

Differences in PCB design have a significant effect on strain behavior, and therefore on the measured resistance changes. In some cases, resistance returned to normal after the strain peaks, even though a momentary electrical disturbance had already occurred.

Who needs advanced BLR drop testing?

Board level reliability testing is especially important for applications where electronics are exposed to mechanical shock and environmental stress. These include the defense industry, automotive engineering, space applications and critical infrastructure. Combined resistance, strain and acceleration measurement allows more accurate design validation and supports simulation, such as FEM analysis, at different stages of product development.

Toptester BLR Full Service: testing and analysis in one place

Toptester’s BLR Full Service covers mechanical tests such as shock tests up to 30,000 g, vibration and bend tests, and environmental tests such as thermal shock and thermal cycling. Combined with failure analysis, these tests make it possible to pinpoint the root cause.

Test methods

• Component testing: daisy chain structures and functional components
• PCB analysis: failure analysis with cross-sectioning and X-ray inspection
• Mechanical tests: shock tests up to 30,000 g, vibration and bend tests
• Environmental tests: thermal shock and thermal cycling
• Other: environmental and mechanical stress tests to IEC, JEDEC, MIL and AEC standards, or customized

Test capacity and measurement equipment

• Mechanical tests: Tira shaker, drop testers (Lansmont, Salon Teknopaja), bend test systems with a Lloyd material tester
• Environmental tests: thermal shock and climatic chambers (Espec, CTS, Weiss)

We look forward to helping our customers put the new, precise measurement method to work in their testing.

Contact us and request a quote for BLR testing to make sure your products stay durable and reliable in demanding conditions.