What's wrong with bent pin analysis, and what to do about it

Abstract

Bent pin analysis is an important kind of failure modes and effects analysis that almost always ignores real-world behavior. The somewhat undisciplined nature of this FMEA means there is heavy reliance on human judgment, and given the particularly tedious nature of the task, the results are typically both incomplete and inaccurate. The analysis also provides oversimplified predictions of failure rates based on averages, or omits them entirely. However, carefully defining analysis rules that more realistically reflect real-world events make it possible for a computer to perform a great deal of the task with far more accuracy. Using these rules, the computer can determine individual failure rates for each permutation of short and open circuits. The computer can also go beyond these computations and do a great deal of additional analysis work, freeing humans to concentrate on circuits and systems instead of pins and wires. Finally, the computer can automatically supply repeated worksheet information - and bent pin FMEA worksheets have a lot of it - so that you never need to enter anything more than once. The result is a far more accurate, consistent, and complete analysis requiring much less effort. It brings bent pin analysis into the 21st century.