MicroMod Teensy - Theoretical pin+socket longevity

[J_Sanders]

Hi all,

I have a naïve question. I have never developed a board with a socket that directly interfaces with PCB pads. I grew up blowing into Nintendo cartridges to make games run, so I have an irrational fear of sockets for applications that require long term performance (10y+). Of course, in Nintendo's case the sockets were in constant use, and pin surface technology must have advanced somewhat by now.

Any opinions on whether the MicroMod Teensy's M.2 MicroMod connector is going to be ~as safe as soldering in a standard Teensy board for long term reliability?

Thanks!
-Josh

 

[PaulStoffregen]

All sockets have an expected number of usage cycles before they wear out. If you repeatedly unplug and reconnect the board, I'm sure M.2 will wear out too.

If you leave it connected, I can't see why it would fail. But maybe this would be a good question to ask of Sparkfun? If you do, and if they answer, I hope you'll share here whatever info they offer.

 

[jonr]

I find 25 to 60 cycles with a rated field life of 3 to 5 years. But specific versions could be different.

 

[J_Sanders]

OK, I did some homework on M.2 (which I probably should have done before posting!). It's a larger industry standard than I realized - and fair to assume it would have been axed by now if reliability were an issue.