[volt-nuts] fluke 332d and 732a... volt-nuts Digest, Vol 55, Issue 11

[Chuck Harris]

Aging is beneficial because it allows a part to physically
relax into a shape that is appropriate for the way it is
being operated... So, if a zener is going to be operated
with no bias current, and at room temperature, sitting on
a shelf for 30 years might be a plus...  But not so much
if the part is going to be run at 5ma bias, and a 55C
operating temp.  In that case, aging begins when the part
is up to temperature, and power is turned on.

-Chuck Harris

new wrote:
> Question... do the old circuits get better with age?
>
> It would seem that the old standards would be
> much better now than they were when new.
>
> Is there any rule of thumb? Does a 20ppm/year
> circuit become a 10ppm/year circuit in say, 20 years?
>
> The industry uses voltage and temperature to simulate
> aging... so just 'aging' itself should work! The old
> survivors from the 70s, 80s and 90s should be very good!
>
> Willy