Differences: Military vs Automotive Electronic Components (Extended Temp & More)

andreteprom wrote:

In addition to the extended temperature range, what other aspects differentiate electronic components designed for the military and automotive areas?

Electronic components designed for military and automotive applications must meet strict requirements for reliability and durability beyond what is required for consumer applications. Some other aspects that differentiate these components include:

1. Shock and vibration resistance: Military and automotive applications may involve exposure to high levels of physical stress, such as shock and vibration. Components designed for these applications must be able to withstand these stresses without failure or damage.

2. EMI/EMC performance: Military and automotive applications may involve exposure to high levels of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) challenges. Components designed for these applications must be able to operate reliably in these environments without causing interference to other components.

3. Longevity: Military and automotive applications often require components to operate for extended periods of time, sometimes even decades. Components designed for these applications must be able to withstand the effects of aging and continue to operate reliably over the long term.

4. Security: Military applications require components that are secure and resistant to tampering or hacking. Components designed for these applications may include additional security features such as encryption, authentication, or secure booting.

Overall, electronic components designed for military and automotive applications must be able to operate reliably under harsh environmental conditions, perform under high levels of stress, and provide long-term durability and longevity.

andreteprom wrote:

Wouldn't the ability to deal with radiation from high energy particles be another aspect to be considered in the military grade?

Yes, you are correct. Radiation resistance is another important aspect that needs to be considered in military applications. The robustness of electronic components against radiation is crucial since military systems might be exposed to radiation from various sources, such as nuclear explosions, cosmic rays, and solar flares.

High-energy radiation can cause single-event effects (SEEs) that can disrupt electronic systems by generating charge carriers in the semiconductor material. These charge carriers can interfere with the normal operation of the system, leading to errors, data loss, or even system failure. Therefore, electronic components designed for military applications must be able to withstand radiation without exhibiting any SEEs.

Various techniques are used to improve the radiation hardness of electronic components, such as using radiation-hardened materials, designing specific circuit topologies, and implementing redundancy techniques.

andreteprom wrote:

Wright, so could you summarize all relevant aspects considered on the military grade, taking into account the one I first mentioned as well as the one last mentioned ?

Sure! To summarize, electronic components designed for military applications require:

1. High reliability and durability beyond what is required for consumer applications.

2. Resistance to shock and vibration encountered in military environments.

3. Excellent EMI/EMC performance to operate reliably while not interfering with other components.

4. Longevity and ability to operate for extended periods of time, often decades.

5. Radiation resistance to withstand high levels of radiation without exhibiting single-event effects (SEEs).

To achieve these requirements, electronic components used in military applications often incorporate specialized materials, redundant circuitry, and customized designs, among other techniques.

andreteprom wrote:

You did not mention the wider temperature range; once again, please list ALL relevant aspects to be considered on the military grade

You are correct; I apologize for the oversight. In addition to the aspects mentioned before, another important consideration for military grade electronic components is the ability to operate reliably over a wide range of temperatures. Military systems are often deployed in extreme environments, including both very hot and very cold temperatures. Therefore, electronic components must be designed to operate reliably across a wide range of temperatures, typically from -55°C to 125°C.

To achieve this, military grade electronic components often use specialized materials, coatings, and designs to withstand temperature extremes. In addition, they may incorporate thermal management techniques, such as heat sinks or fans, to dissipate heat generated by the component during operation.

Other relevant aspects to consider for military grade electronic components include:

- Low power consumption to conserve battery life and reduce heat generation
- High resistance to corrosion and moisture to withstand harsh environments
- Secure and encrypted communication to prevent interception or tampering of sensitive data
- Compliance with military standards and regulations, such as MIL-STD-810G and MIL-STD-461G, for testing and validation of performance and reliability.

I hope this fully addresses your question. Let me know if you have any further queries.

andreteprom wrote:

I would like to get all these aspects summarized into an ordered list, I mean, splitted in topics, as you did in the first reply.

Sure, here is an ordered list of the aspects to consider for military-grade electronic components:

1. Reliability and Durability:
- High reliability and durability beyond what is required for consumer applications.
- Redundant circuitry to ensure continued operation in case of component failure.
- Specialized materials and coatings to withstand harsh environmental conditions.
- Testing under extreme conditions to ensure reliability.

2. Shock and Vibration Resistance:
- Components designed to withstand shock and vibration encountered in military environments.
- Specialized mounting techniques, such as conformal coating and shock mounts, to reduce shock and vibration impact.

3. EMI/EMC Performance:
- Excellent EMI/EMC performance to operate reliably without interfering with other components.
- Shielding and filtering to reduce unwanted EMI/EMC effects.

4. Longevity and Extended Operational Periods:
- Components designed for longevity and the ability to operate for extended periods, often decades.
- High MTBF (mean time between failures) values to ensure continued operation.

5. Radiation Resistance:
- Components designed to withstand high levels of radiation without exhibiting single-event effects (SEEs).
- Radiation-hardened components with specialized substrates and materials.

6. Wide Temperature Range Operation:
- Ability to operate reliably over a wide range of temperatures, typically from -55°C to 125°C.
- Thermal management techniques, such as heat sinks or fans, to dissipate heat generated by the component during operation.

7. Low Power Consumption:
- Low power consumption to conserve battery life and reduce heat generation.

8. Corrosion and Moisture Resistance:
- High resistance to corrosion and moisture to withstand exposure to harsh environmental conditions.