AVX’s full range of space-level BME X7R MLCCs are now fully approved for use in US military & aerospace designs, allowing engineers to take advantage of their high CV capabilities & the revolutionary size, weight, & component count reductions they enable
AVX Corporation, a leading manufacturer of passive components and interconnect solutions, is the first — and currently only — company to be recognized as a 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 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (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, 2.2nF to 8.2μF capacitance values, and 16V to 100V ratings— are now listed on the NASA website as approved electronic components for applications including I/O filtering and bulk storage in the switch mode power supplies (SMPS) in space and satellite communications and launchers, military defense and weapons systems, and radar systems.
Exhibiting capacitance voltage (CV) capabilities superior to those of precious metal electrode (PME) MLCCs, which have long been the standard for the global aerospace industry, AVX’s space-level BME MLCCs provide the extremely high-reliability performance required by the space industry while also delivering higher capacitance values in significantly smaller cases sizes, enabling revolutionary reductions of board space, weight, and component count, which directly translate into lower launch costs. Featuring Flexiterm® terminations, AVX’s space-level BME X7R MLCCs also provide considerably enhanced resistance to mechanical stress by allowing for more board flexure than standard terminations, especially in large case sizes. Tested using MIL-SPEC standards and methods, including 100% ultrasonic examination in compliance with the S-311-P-838 specification, the newly NASA-approved series is available in five case sizes spanning 0603 to 1812, and is rated for 16 – 100V and 2.2nF to 8.2μF with three capacitance tolerances (±5%, ±10%, and ±20%).
