3
kiki
215d

Tin whiskers grow on solder joints and make shorts. They’re real, and they kill a lot of electronics.
The only known cure is adding lead to the solder, but modern standards only allow lead-free solder prone to tin whiskers. Leaded solder is the reason that early computers are still operational today.

Petition to allow medical equipment manufacturers to use leaded solder! Life support shorting out and burning in the middle of the night will kill the patient.

Comments
  • 7
    I've dealt with lead free industrial stuff. Let me tell you, that is no where near the biggest killer. Number one is human stupidity. Like leaving a control cabinet open so its electronics can cool. But then it blew snow into it 😒
  • 0
    @galena I'm talking sealed devices. You buy a ventilator and it suddenly kills the patient because no one knows how to reliably prevent tin whiskers formation
  • 5
    RoHS has entered the chat...

    Lead free solder is junk. The wetting temp is so tight and high that it's hard to do without automation.

    Now eutectic leaded solder, that's where it's at! That starts wetting in a cold Canadian winter, and stops in the depths of hell. You can form a perfect joint by breathing on it
  • 2
    @galena Thanks!

    You've just reminded me about this killer bug:

    https://hackaday.com/2015/10/...

    Although that was a different kind of stupidity.
  • 0
    @jestdotty where do I sign to help you become the spokesperson for all things ancap?
  • 0
    ...probably this:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    could be wrong, though.
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