This part of IEC 60749 provides a test method that is intended to evaluate and compare drop
performance of surface mount electronic components for handheld electronic product
applications in an accelerated test environment, where excessive flexure of a circuit board
causes product failure. The purpose is to standardize the test board and test methodology to
provide a reproducible assessment of the drop test performance of surface-mounted
components while producing the same failure modes normally observed during product level
test.
The purpose of this standard is to prescribe a standardized test method and reporting
procedure. This is not a component qualification test and is not meant to replace any system
level drop test that may be needed to qualify a specific handheld electronic product. The
standard is not meant to cover the drop test required to simulate shipping and handlingrelated
shock of electronic components or PCB assemblies. These requirements are already
addressed in test methods such as IEC 60749-10. The method is applicable to both area
array and perimeter-leaded surface mounted packages.
This test method uses an accelerometer to measure the mechanical shock duration and
magnitude applied which is proportional to the stress on a given component mounted on a
standard board. The test method described in the future IEC 60749-401 uses strain gauge to
measure the strain and strain rate of a board in the vicinity of a component. The detailed
specification states which test method is to be used.