Meaning
Industry standards for electronic connectors define precise experimental procedures to evaluate electrical performance under controlled electrical and mechanical conditions. The dry circuit test method specified in eia-364-23 restricts the applied voltage and current to levels that cannot puncture thin insulating films or oxides on the contact surfaces. This technique ensures that the measurement reflects only the true metallic contact area under the influence of normal force and surface geometry.
Test Protocol
The test configuration limits the open-circuit voltage to twenty millivolts and the closed-circuit current to one hundred milliamperes. These electrical constraints prevent the thermal breakdown of any thin oxide films present at the contact interface. If a higher voltage were applied, it could melt or puncture the non-conductive layers, which would produce a false reading of the connector performance.
Electrical Measurement
Standard four-wire Kelvin connections are utilized to eliminate the resistance of the lead wires from the measurement. This configuration ensures that only the contact resistance of the interface itself is captured by the instrumentation. The measured resistance must remain below specified limits before and after environmental stress tests to qualify the connector.
Compliance Standard
Documenting compliance with this test standard is required for connector qualification. Design specifications reference the test to guarantee low-level contact resistance throughout the service life.
