BME capacitors attain NASA's S-311-P-838 specification

Mouser Electronics

Tuesday, 17 May, 2016

BME capacitors attain NASA's S-311-P-838 specification

AVX Corporation has achieved NASA specification for its BME capacitors, following several years of extensive testing and a months-long review of the qualification data.

The company has been recognised as the first — and currently only — qualified supplier of space-level base metal electrode (BME) X7R dielectric multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) for use in aerospace designs and US military applications under NASA’s S-311-P-838 specification.

This specification defines the requirements for high reliability, ceramic dielectric, multilayer, base metal electrode, fixed-value chip capacitors for high-reliability space applications, in addition to the processing verification and inspections required by assemblies used in flight.

After several years of extensive testing and a meticulous, months-long review of the qualification data, AVX’s full range of space-level BME X7R MLCCs — spanning 0603 to 1812 case sizes, 2.2 nF to 8.2 μF capacitance values and 16 to 100 V ratings — is now listed on the NASA website as approved electronic components for applications including I/O filtering and bulk storage in switch-mode power supplies (SMPS) in space and satellite communications and launchers, military defence and weapons systems, and radar systems.

“After years of extensive testing per NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) S-311 specifications, and an extremely meticulous review of the masses of qualification data that has been underway since last summer, AVX has finally become the first and only manufacturer authorised to supply BME X7R MLCCs for use in US military and aerospace applications,” said Michael Conway, product marketing manager at AVX.

“The high CV capabilities of our surface-mount BME capacitors enable the use of smaller PCBs that weigh less and have fewer components, effectively satisfying aerospace designers’ requests for miniature, lightweight components capable of peak mission-critical performance.”

AVX’s space-level BME X7R MLCCs in case sizes 0603–1812 are also the first such capacitors approved for use in European Space applications and are listed on the European Space Association’s Qualified Parts List (QPL) under the criteria of the European Space Components Coordination’s 3009/041 specification.

Image caption: The NASA-approved BME X7R capacitors.

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