Clairvoyant, the title has been changed and once agin, thank you for pointing this out. I really appreciate that you have commented on all of my blogs. I look forward to your comments as much as I look forward to writing the articles yet to come.
Thanks for a good overview of an important topic. Derating is used extensively in designing hardware for harsh conditions, such as military or industrial applications, where environmental conditions can vary over a wide range. In many cases, hardware must pass extensive environmental testing prior to being fielded. Derating components is a good way to ensure that the hardware passes these srtringent tests and works well in fielded applications.
As I mentioned earlier, I did not title this article. I agree it is inappropriately titled. I asked the editor to rename it to Derating: Designing in Operating Margin to Extend Component and Product Lifetime. I hope that happens soon.
In my opinion this article should be appropriately titled as " Having a safety factor in the design".
It is a good design practice to have some kind of a sfety factor while choosing the componenets in a given design whether it is a mechanical system, Electrical system, Chemical system or a thermodynamic one. This practice is being followed since the word engineering came into being.
In the designs that came out say 50 years ago, the engineers would put a much larger safety factor in their design compared to what today's engineers do. That is why the machines , appliances designed in those times lasted much more than their expected life time.
In my opinion ,such safety factor ( or the derating factor ) if applied into the design calculations will automatically take care of derating of the components in a uniform manner.
Jacob, fundamental values like capacitance, inductance, resistance don't necessarily change when derating, but specifications such as voltage, current, power handling capacity, temperature. If a product that is designed at commercial rating of 70C is going to be used in a non ventilted enclosure in the Saraha, then the product should be designed with the worst case environmental conditions in mind, so 85C parts should be selected. At the subassembly level, a power supply module might be derated at 50% of its operating specification max level, so a 50W power supply requirement might be upgraded to 75W to assure long life reliability.
Jacob, can you explain what you are saying please? When you say "associated components in a circuit have to follow the same specifications and standards" can you tell me what same standards you are referring to?
Douglas, for optimal performance all the associated components in a circuit has to follow the same specifications and standards. Otherwise, the circuit may works, but in performance it may be week.
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Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
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Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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