Drop impact survey of portable electronic products

Abstract

A common cause of failure in portable electronic products is drop impact. Electronic products subjected to impact and shock can sustain major functional and physical damage such as internal component failures and cracking of external casings. This paper examines the impact behavior of several mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) at various impact orientations using an orientation controlled drop tester. The drop tester holds the product at a specified orientation and releases the product just before impact. A high-speed camera is used to verify the impact orientation. Of interest are the strains and shock level induced around key electronic packages within each product, and the impact force. An understanding of the shock induced at different impact orientations will help in the design of more reliable and robust products.