Palladium-and Solder-Plated Connectors for the Automotive Industry

The low signal level microprocessors used in automobiles require very good electrical connections. Typically, these connectors are gold-plated. Work has been done to show that gold-plated connectors need not be used in many circumstances. Extensive testing on two specific connector geometries compares palladium- and solder-plated connectors to gold. The results presented in this paper show that palladium and solder (60/40 or 90/10 tin/ lead) perform equivalently to gold on properly designed connectors, This performance is maintained even in very extreme environments such as salt spray, hydrogen sulfide, mechanical, thermal, and vibrational shocks, as well as combinations of these environments .