Restriction of Hazardous Substance - RoHS

Frequently Asked Questions

When will RoHS-compliant parts be available from Echelon?

Echelon is committed to making all its products RoHS-compliant before the deadline imposed by European Union (July 1, 2006). Since all products can not be converted at one time, they will be converted in phases starting in 2005. The conversion schedule is available at RoHS-compliant Parts Availability Schedule. http://www.echelon.com/products/rohs_schedule.htm.

How are RoHS-compliant parts marked differently from non-RoHS-compliant parts?

In general the model number of RoHS compatible parts ends with the letter "R" e.g., 14230R-500 is the RoHS compliant version of the Model 14230-500 Free Topology Smart Transceiver.  Many, but not all, RoHS-compliant parts bear markings to indicate that the part is RoHS-compliant.  The following table summarizes the RoHS marking on high volume Echelon parts:

Product Name Model Number RoHS Marking
Free Topology Smart Transceivers 14212R-500 "CAT=E4" added to mark
14222R-800 "CAT=E4" added to mark
14230R-450 "CAT=E4" added to mark
FT-X1 Communication Transformer 14240R Encircled "e1" added to mark
Power Line Smart Transceivers 15311R-1000 "E" in lower left corner added to mark
15321R-960 Encircled "e3" added to mark
FTT-10A Free Topology Transceiver 50051R Encircled "e1" added to mark

 

What are the peak soldering temperature limits for RoHS-compliant parts?

The melting point for a typical non-RoHS Tin(63%)/Lead(37%) eutectic solder is 183° C. The melting point of a typical RoHS Tin/Silver/Copper solder is 217° C. Therefore, RoHS-compliant parts need to comply with higher soldering temperature limits. The soldering process is however different for through-hole and surface-mount (SMT) parts. The following two sections describe the peak temperature limits for soldering RoHS-compliant through-hole and SMT parts

Through-Hole Parts

While soldering through-hole parts, the solder is melted separately and then applied to through-hole parts for soldering to the board. Therefore, the component parts do not reach as high temperatures as SMT parts reach (described in next section). All the Echelon through-hole parts designed for soldering to the circuit board can take up to 250° C peak lead temperature for five seconds. This is valid both for non-RoHS- and RoHS-compliant parts.

Surface-Mount (SMT) Parts

SMT parts are heated in an oven during processing. As a result, SMT parts reach significantly higher temperature compared to through-hole parts. The peak temperature limits for the SMT parts available from Echelon are shown in the table below:

Product Model Number Non-RoHS Parts Peak Temperature Limit RoHS Parts Peak Temperature Limits
FT 3120-E4S40 14212R-500 245°C 245°C
FT 3120-E4P40 14222R-800 235°C 260°C
FT 3150-P20 14230R-450 235°C 260°C
PL 3120-E4T10 15311R-1000 235°C 260°C
PL 3150-L10 15321R-960 235°C 260°C
FT-X2 14250R-300 N/A 245°C

 

What are the lead finishes for various RoHS-compliant parts?

The lead finishes for all the major component parts are listed below. Please contact Echelon if you are unable to find the lead finish of the part in which you are interested.

FTT-10A (50051R) - Dipped SAC305 solder over Matte Tin (thickness 3 microns) over nickel barrier (1 micron). Tin whiskering mitigated by dipped solder. Does not contain the “Bismuth” alloy.

FT-X1 (14240R) - Dipped SAC305 solder over Matte Tin (thickness 5-9 microns) electroplated over steel leads.

FT 31x0 (14212R-500, 14222R-800 and 14230R-450) - NiPdAu plating: gold (Au – 3-13nm) on top of palladium (PD – 5-20nm) on top of nickel (Ni – 500-2030nm) on top of copper leads.

FT-X2 (14250R-300) - Matte Tin (thickness 4-8 microns) electroplated over copper leads.

PL 31x0 (15311R-1000 and 15321R-960) - Matte Tin (thickness 7-20 microns) electroplated over copper leads.

What is the recommended soldering temperature profile for RoHS-compliant parts?

Echelon does not recommend any specific soldering temperature profile for RoHS-compliant parts. The soldering temperature profile depends on the solder paste material and should be obtained from the solder paste manufacturer. The peak temperature limits for RoHS-compliant parts should be kept under consideration while choosing the solder paste and the soldering temperature profile. Industry standard RoHS soldering temperature profiles can be found in the following JEDEC document: http://www.jedec.org/download/search/jstd020c.pdf