How Often do Electronic Components Stop Working?

sonnyyu:
Mean time between failures (MTBF) is the predicted elapsed time between inherent failures of a system during operation.

The MTBF can be defined in terms of the expected value of the density function ƒ(t)

Electronics is Math.

Due to t being in the equation, it doesn't seem to adequately take into account
"infant mortality" on electronic devices, or the 2nd phase either. Likely only describes
the 3rd phase.

AlxDroidDev:

sonnyyu:
Electronics is Math.

Isn't mostly everything?

This is very nice, but is really just the "reductionist" perception of the world, ie mainly
that of physics.

What's missing is the concept related to complexity theory that use of the word "just"
here limits the analysis to only half the problem. In reality, each time you go "up" to
another level of description - ie, moving from right to left <----------- there are new
sets of rules and interactions that come into play that are basically indescribable by
the reductionist perspective alone.

The most obvious example is flying from physics on the right over to sociology on the
left, it would be utterly hopeless to try and describe human behavior and male-female
interactions using equations from quantum mechanics and movement of individual
atoms and molecules.

To be more specific: three N/O switches died, and one tilt switch.

My question is:
Is it normal for components to stop working so often?

No! Mechanical things can wear-out, but how often have you had to change the light switches in your house?

Have you tested those switches with a multimeter?

or is there maybe something wrong with my workflow which keeps killing them?

Your "workflow" should not harm them, unless perhaps you get solder flux inside the switch, or if you clean them with water and they corrode inside.... If you are running excessive voltages & currents through them, they can be damaged. But with 5V or 12V and milliamps, any switch should survive.

or maybe the components that come with the starter kit are just low quality?

Possible, but it's unlikely that they are THAT bad!

I like this posting. It has a little philosophy, a little humor, and lots of practical advice. I wish there were more like this one. :smiley:

Lefty

oric_dan:

AlxDroidDev:

sonnyyu:
Electronics is Math.

Isn't mostly everything?

This is very nice, but is really just the "reductionist" perception of the world, ie mainly
that of physics.

What's missing is the concept related to complexity theory that use of the word "just"
here limits the analysis to only half the problem. In reality, each time you go "up" to
another level of description - ie, moving from right to left <----------- there are new
sets of rules and interactions that come into play that are basically indescribable by
the reductionist perspective alone.

The most obvious example is flying from physics on the right over to sociology on the
left, it would be utterly hopeless to try and describe human behavior and male-female
interactions using equations from quantum mechanics and movement of individual
atoms and molecules.

LOL, I have an example of that!

When we boil water and are so certain what temperature we will measure, how large is our population sample? Compared to the entire human population today our water sample will be orders of magnitude more while the fuzzy psychologist is lucky to work with many orders of magnitude less.
What looks like complete order and certainty in the water sample is so far from truth for individual water molecules they make individual people look well behaved.

And let's not forget the split behavior of the understanding of the nature of light. Is it a wave or particle, both or none of the above?

Actually there are loads of these things and a guaranteed unknown amount more if the Incompleteness Theorem is right. And that's a good thing since it means science will never be done if that's true.

GoForSmoke:
Actually there are loads of these things and a guaranteed unknown amount more if the Incompleteness Theorem is right. And that's a good thing since it means science will never be done if that's true.

Amen to that.

The right side people (in the scale), like Physicists, Chemists, Biologist, Astronomers, etc are all in accordance that science is an evolving thing, that there are more questions to be made than answers already found. Most of these people call what they do science rather than a profession. My wife, for example, has a PhD in cellular biology and has just started her post-doctorate in odontology. She calls herself a scientist, not a dentist.

To the left of the scale, the more applied people, can be divided into 2 categories: those that consider it a profession and those very few that consider it a science. The professionals usually think that their knowledge is an already evovled thing, that whatever there is to know has already been written. I know SEVERAL medics/doctors that are like that. They refuse to acknowledge that medicine is a science as well, and are more likely to think that everything they need to know, now and in 50 years, is already in the books. The same goes for several psychologists, sociologists, etc.

To a certain extent, we can also call religion a science (I am intentionally not using the word teology), because whatever faith we follow, how we deal with it has changed over the last hundred of years, at least in the western religions. We aren`t as tight ass about religion as out ancestors were 100-200 or 300 years ago. People in Massachussets don't hunt witches anymore. The Pope doesn't have that much influence in governments. Only recently some churches (as in "institutions") have acknowledged that our relation to whatever Superior Being we believe in has changed.

If some people get their way, everyone who says they believe in anything that can't be proven will undergo correctional treatment to rid them of their delusions. Of course what constitutes proof will have its own insane BS ideology as the current in-fighting in the atheist movement is experiencing over feminism. People are still people and "power" recognizes no control.

AlxDroidDev:

sonnyyu:
Electronics is Math.

Isn't mostly everything?

Nothing is math. Math is simply a tool for describing all sorts of things. Electrons behave in a way that we call mathematical for no known reason, it's just the way they are and it's just good luck that they do. They would still behave that way if there were no intelligent creatures to devise a mathematical description of their behavior.

Math is simply a tool for describing all sorts of things.

Bingo! Eg, a mathematical description, or model, of a hurricane is hardly a hurricane.

GoForSmoke:
If some people get their way, everyone who says they believe in anything that can't be proven will undergo correctional treatment to rid them of their delusions.

Education will eventually rid people of their delusions, without the need for 'correctional treatment'.

Of course what constitutes proof will have its own insane BS ideology as the current in-fighting in the atheist movement is experiencing over feminism.

What has feminism to do with the lack of belief in gods?

Henry_Best:

GoForSmoke:
If some people get their way, everyone who says they believe in anything that can't be proven will undergo correctional treatment to rid them of their delusions.

Education will eventually rid people of their delusions, without the need for 'correctional treatment'.

Which set of delusions will that include? One where everyone understands a single view? As if everyone is capable? I know people too well to believe that. Do you -believe- that?

Of course what constitutes proof will have its own insane BS ideology as the current in-fighting in the atheist movement is experiencing over feminism.

What has feminism to do with the lack of belief in gods?

Doesn't make sense, does it? Yet the splintering goes on, which I find hilarious. Those who ask for evidence get demonized and persecuted by people who claim that their views are 100% evidence-based.

Political Correctness as a tool to power: 1
Reason and Logic: -1

I think you are mixing up scientific objective truth with the how to live your life relitave "truth" they are not the same thing.
I have not come across this debate but there is no connection unless ones view of women is that conveyed by the "truth" promulgated by organised religions.

The ideology of radical feminism has become equally insane to creationism.

Any time you start with a conclusion and make everything fit it goes like that.

How often is just such a mistake on a smaller scale behind not finding a bug in code or a pile of dead parts for that matter?

At about 2 mins into this Youtube, a part stops working.

Any time you start with a conclusion and make everything fit it goes like that.

Oddly enough I was watching a DVD last night where they had a computer program that you gave the conclusion to and it worked out the justification for it. In the end the U.S.A. used it to justify the invasion of Mexico.

It was a comedy, episode 1 of Dirk Gently - based on an idea by Douglas Adams.

GoForSmoke:
At about 2 mins into this Youtube, a part stops working.

LM317 Adjustable Voltage Regulator Tutorial - YouTube

I did that yesterday with several 470k, 2W resistors... :-S

Grumpy_Mike:

Any time you start with a conclusion and make everything fit it goes like that.

Oddly enough I was watching a DVD last night where they had a computer program that you gave the conclusion to and it worked out the justification for it. In the end the U.S.A. used it to justify the invasion of Mexico.

It was a comedy, episode 1 of Dirk Gently - based on an idea by Douglas Adams.

HA. That does sound very much like an idea from Douglas Adams.

Too bad Mexico is invading us and they don't need no stinkin' justification.

GoForSmoke:

Henry_Best:

GoForSmoke:
If some people get their way, everyone who says they believe in anything that can't be proven will undergo correctional treatment to rid them of their delusions.

Education will eventually rid people of their delusions, without the need for 'correctional treatment'.

Which set of delusions will that include?

The ones that succumb to critical thinking.

One where everyone understands a single view?

The single view being reality.

As if everyone is capable? I know people too well to believe that. Do you -believe- that?

Of course what constitutes proof will have its own insane BS ideology as the current in-fighting in the atheist movement is experiencing over feminism.

What has feminism to do with the lack of belief in gods?

Doesn't make sense, does it? Yet the splintering goes on, which I find hilarious.

I've noticed no splintering nor any in-fighting amongst atheists.

Those who ask for evidence get demonized and persecuted by people who claim that their views are 100% evidence-based.

Evidence for what?

Political Correctness as a tool to power: 1
Reason and Logic: -1

[UPDATE]

Apparently the switches were not the problem after all.
After having the same bug over and over again,
and spending a long time isolating the problem,
I now think something is wrong with the breadboard.
I shifted the "faulty" switch one row downwards,
and now it works perfectly fine.

Using a meter or even a continuity checker of some kind would have saved you a few days then.