This part of IEC 60749 provides a test method that is intended to evaluate and compare drop performance of surface mount electronic components for handheld electronic product applications in an accelerated test environment, where excessive flexure of a circuit board causes product failure. The purpose is to standardize the test board and test methodology to provide a reproducible assessment of the drop test performance of surface-mounted components while producing the same failure modes normally observed during product level test.

The purpose of this standard is to prescribe a standardized test method and reporting procedure. This is not a component qualification test and is not meant to replace any system level drop test that may be needed to qualify a specific handheld electronic product. The standard is not meant to cover the drop test required to simulate shipping and handling-related shock of electronic components or PCB assemblies. These requirements are already addressed in test methods such as IEC 60749‑10. The method is applicable to both area array and perimeter-leaded surface mounted packages.

This test method uses an accelerometer to measure the mechanical shock duration and magnitude applied which is proportional to the stress on a given component mounted on a standard board. The test method described in the future IEC 60749‑40¹ uses strain gauge to measure the strain and strain rate of a board in the vicinity of a component. The detailed specification states which test method is to be used.