TopLine Files for US Patent for Pb-free Solder Column

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TopLine Corporation announced that Martin Hart, CEO of TopLine and inventor, has filed for a US Patent for a lead (Pb) free solder column used in the manufacture of Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices. The unique new product has been developed in anticipation of RoHS requirements for Pb free columns.

In making the announcement, Hart said, “Historically, the aerospace and defense industry has largely been exempt from meeting the requirements of the EU RoHS directive regulating the use of lead in solder columns. It is widely speculated that one day, RoHS will stop renewing its exemption allowing lead bearing solder balls and solder columns. Doing so could trigger unintentional consequences by forcing Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) to convert to fully lead-free FPGA products. This product is designed to anticipate and meet future needs for lead-free columns.”

Heritage hardware used in the Aerospace and Defense industries are built on a platform of FPGA devices built with solder columns instead of solder balls, Hart adds. Column Grid Array (CGA) FPGA packages engaged in mission-critical black box systems have shown to be more reliable than Ball Grid Array (BGA) packages, absorbing stress and increasing solder joint reliability under harsh operating conditions.