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EVERYTHING FOR ELECTRONICS READER FEEDBACK
Electronics Left Out
in the Cold
I enjoyed reading Paul Verhage’s
Near Space column in the May 2014
issue about building an electronic
thermometer for a thermal vacuum
chamber. The article mentioned that
the thermometer could read down to
-99 degrees Fahrenheit. My thoughts
immediately went to the effects of
such cold temperatures on the
electronics. (Actually, I guess you
have to deal with that factor every
time you launch.)
The LM335 temperature sensor,
for instance, is rated at - 40 degrees
Fahrenheit for its absolute maximum
rating when operating, and - 76
degrees for non-energized storage (I
am referencing the Texas Instrument's
datasheet). I would think that many
board would be similarly rated by
their manufacturers.
My limited electronics
knowledge is self-taught. I always
looked upon the ratings in a
datasheet as being definite, but it
appears from your project that the
ratings are not absolute. Could you
please say a few words on the
subject, and about your own
experience with component
reliability in the face of such cold
temperatures? Thank you!
Judy May W1ORO
Union, KY
Thanks for asking, Judy. It's great
to get letters from readers.
Actually, my thermometer for the
TVC works to -99 degrees because
that's the lowest temperature the
March 2015 7
Continued on page 45