Test EQ

Aircraft electronic equipment operates under changing thermal conditions throughout ground operations, flight, and different equipment operating states. Temperature variation can affect electronic components, connectors, displays, power supplies, sensors, and other airborne equipment.RTCA DO-160 Section 5, Temperature Variation, defines test procedures for evaluating equipment performance during temperature changes between specified operating temperature extremes. Depending on the applicable category, testing may involve controlled temperature variation or more rapid temperature shock.For aerospace manufacturers, avionics engineers, qualification laboratories, and test equipment procurement teams, selecting the right temperature test chamber requires more than matching minimum and maximum temperature specifications. Temperature change rate, equipment thermal mass, stabilization time, functional monitoring, and the test configuration must also be considered.TestEQ provides configurable environmental test chambers for aerospace and electronic equipment testing, with system specifications tailored to the required test profile and equipment configuration.

Industrial lithium batteries must remain safe under intended operating conditions and reasonably foreseeable misuse. For manufacturers of energy storage systems, uninterruptible power supplies, industrial vehicles and material-handling equipment, IEC 62619 provides an important framework for evaluating the safety of secondary lithium cells and battery systems.IEC 62619:2022 specifies safety requirements and tests for secondary lithium cells and batteries used in industrial applications, including stationary energy storage. Its scope includes applications such as telecommunications, UPS systems, electrical energy storage systems, forklifts, automated guided vehicles, railway vehicles and marine vehicles. Road-vehicle propulsion batteries are addressed by the applicable specialized standards, including the IEC 62660 series where relevant. (IEC official publication)For battery engineers and laboratory managers, compliance planning involves more than selecting a test chamber. The test program may require electrical abuse equipment, temperature monitoring, battery management system (BMS) evaluation, data acquisition and dedicated safety infrastructure.TestEQ provides configurable environmental simulation equipment to support battery development, temperature testing and reliability evaluation. The appropriate chamber configuration depends on the applicable test procedure, battery dimensions, heat load and laboratory safety assessment.

UL 2580 is a safety standard for electrical energy storage assemblies used in electric-powered vehicles. It addresses the ability of battery packs, modules and related assemblies to withstand simulated abuse conditions without exposing people to electrical, thermal, mechanical or other hazards.For EV battery manufacturers, automotive suppliers, laboratories and test engineers, UL 2580 testing can involve environmental exposure, electrical safety, mechanical abuse and thermal-related evaluations depending on the applicable test program and product configuration.A properly selected UL 2580 battery test chamber therefore needs to do more than control temperature. It must provide stable environmental conditions while supporting battery charging and discharging, instrumentation, safety monitoring, interlocks and integration with the overall test system.The current UL Standards & Engagement listing identifies UL 2580 Edition 3 as active, with the latest listed revision dated June 28, 2022.Engineering note: UL 2580 should not be interpreted as a single environmental chamber test. The standard evaluates electrical energy storage assemblies under specified conditions and simulated abuse scenarios. The exact test sequence and conditions depend on the applicable clause, DUT configuration and manufacturer-specified operating parameters.UL 2580 at a GlanceStandard: UL 2580 — Batteries for Use In Electric VehiclesPrimary purpose: Safety evaluation of electrical energy storage assemblies used in electric-powered vehiclesTypical DUT: Battery packs, modules and related electrical energy storage assembliesKey evaluation areas: Electrical, mechanical, environmental and thermal safetyEnvironmental testing: Includes areas such as thermal cycling, immersion, salt spray and external fire exposure depending on the applicable test programTest chamber focus: Temperature control, temperature uniformity, DUT heat-load management, electrical feedthroughs, data acquisition and safety integrationImportant distinction: UL 2580 is primarily a safety standard and does not itself constitute a general battery performance or reliability qualification standard.

When an engineering team starts a new environmental qualification programme, one question often appears before the chamber specification is written:Which environmental testing standard should we use?IEC 60068, MIL-STD-810, UN testing and RTCA DO-160 can all involve environmental stresses such as temperature, humidity, vibration, shock or altitude. However, these standards should not be treated as interchangeable specifications.The same physical stress can have a different qualification purpose, test configuration, severity selection, specimen condition and acceptance requirement depending on the applicable standard.For engineers, laboratories and procurement teams, the practical problem is therefore not simply understanding what each standard means.The real problem is:How do you translate the applicable standard into a technically correct test requirement and environmental test chamber specification?This guide compares IEC 60068, MIL-STD-810, UN testing and RTCA DO-160 from that engineering and procurement perspective.

IEC 60068-2-13:2021 specifies environmental testing methods for specimens that may be subjected to low air pressure during transportation, storage or service.Known as Test M: Low Air Pressure, the standard provides a framework for evaluating products under reduced atmospheric pressure and for defining the severity and duration of exposure.The fifth edition was published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on March 3, 2021. It replaced IEC 60068-2-13:1983 and introduced technical revisions including alignment of test severities with the IEC 60721 series and new Annex A guidance for selecting exposure duration.For engineers and laboratory teams, the key point is that IEC 60068-2-13 is fundamentally a low-air-pressure test method. An altitude value may describe the environmental condition, but the test system must ultimately establish and control the specified pressure condition.For procurement teams, this distinction is important when selecting a low-pressure or altitude environmental test chamber.

GSFC-STD-7000B, also known as the General Environmental Verification Standard (GEVS) for GSFC Flight Programs and Projects, provides a structured framework for environmental verification of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center payloads, subsystems, and components.For thermal vacuum testing, the standard is particularly important because Section 2.6.3 addresses Thermal Vacuum Verification, including requirements, test parameters, demonstration, environment simulation, special tests, and acceptance requirements.For engineers and procurement teams, the key point is that NASA GEVS should not be interpreted as a single universal TVAC chamber specification. The applicable thermal vacuum conditions are established from the mission environment, hardware configuration, thermal analysis, verification objective, and project-level requirements.

ECSS-E-ST-10-03C Rev.1 – Testing is an active European space engineering standard that defines requirements for verification by testing of space segment elements and space segment equipment on the ground before launch.The standard applies to qualification models, flight models tested at acceptance level, and protoflight models. It establishes a structured framework for test programmes, environmental testing, functional and performance testing, qualification and acceptance testing, test margins, test duration, test conditions, tolerances, accuracies, retesting, and test documentation.For thermal vacuum testing, ECSS-E-ST-10-03C Rev.1 is particularly relevant to engineers responsible for spacecraft and space hardware verification because it addresses thermal vacuum testing and thermal testing at mission pressure as part of the environmental verification process.

JESD22-A101 THB is a JEDEC reliability test method used to evaluate the moisture-related reliability of non-hermetic packaged semiconductor devices under elevated temperature, humidity, and electrical bias.The test is commonly known as Temperature-Humidity-Bias (THB) testing or the Steady-State Temperature-Humidity Bias Life Test.Unlike a conventional temperature-humidity exposure test, THB combines three stress factors:*.Elevated temperature*.High relative humidity*.Electrical bias applied to the device under test (DUT)The combination is designed to accelerate moisture-related degradation mechanisms such as corrosion, electrical leakage, insulation degradation, and electrochemical migration in semiconductor packages and electronic devices.For engineers, laboratories, semiconductor manufacturers, automotive electronics suppliers, and reliability teams, selecting the correct THB test chamber and bias system is essential for maintaining stable environmental conditions throughout a long-duration qualification test.

JESD22-A118 is a JEDEC reliability test method for Accelerated Moisture Resistance — Unbiased HAST, commonly referred to as UHAST (Unbiased Highly Accelerated Stress Test).The method evaluates the moisture resistance and reliability of non-hermetic packaged semiconductor and solid-state devices by exposing test samples to elevated temperature and high relative humidity under non-condensing conditions and without electrical bias. For semiconductor manufacturers, IC designers, OSAT companies, laboratories and reliability engineers, JESD22-A118 provides an accelerated environmental stress method for identifying moisture-related package and material degradation.Unlike JESD22-A101 Temperature Humidity Bias (THB), which applies electrical bias during temperature and humidity exposure, A118 focuses on unbiased moisture resistance.

IEC 60749-25 Temperature Cycling is a key semiconductor reliability test method for evaluating how semiconductor devices, packages, board assemblies, and solder interconnections withstand repeated high- and low-temperature exposure. This guide explains the IEC 60749-25 temperature cycling test procedure, test methods, key parameters, and chamber selection considerations, with practical guidance for engineers, procurement teams, and reliability laboratories. Learn how temperature range, ramp rate, soak time, cycle count, temperature uniformity, and DUT loading can affect test results—and how to select a reliable temperature cycling chamber for semiconductor reliability testing.

RTCA DO-160 altitude testing evaluates airborne equipment under the temperature and pressure conditions that may occur during aircraft operation. RTCA DO-160 Section 4, Temperature and Altitude, provides environmental test methods for evaluating equipment performance under specified pressure-altitude and temperature conditions.For aerospace engineers and qualification laboratories, DO-160 altitude testing is more than simply reducing chamber pressure. The test system must reproduce the required absolute pressure, control pressure transitions, maintain the specified temperature condition when applicable, and provide reliable monitoring of the equipment under test (EUT).The applicable test category and qualification plan determine the specific environmental conditions, duration, operating mode, and acceptance criteria. These requirements should be established before selecting an altitude test chamber.

ISO 16750 is a key environmental testing standard series for electrical and electronic equipment used in road vehicles. It defines environmental conditions and recommended tests according to the component's installation location and operating environment.The ISO 16750 series is particularly relevant for automotive electronics, ECUs, sensors, control modules, connectors, lighting systems, power electronics, and other vehicle electrical components that must maintain functional reliability under temperature, humidity, mechanical, electrical, and chemical stresses.For automotive manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers, component manufacturers, and reliability laboratories, ISO 16750 provides a structured framework for evaluating whether an electrical or electronic component can withstand the environmental conditions encountered during vehicle operation.The current ISO 16750 series was updated in 2023, with the series covering general requirements, electrical loads, mechanical loads, climatic loads, and chemical loads.