Verification of empirical warp-based design criteria of space electronic boards

•Warp-based PCB design rules were examined from their physical consistency.•Maximum stress in a bent PCB relies better on its curvature but less on its warp.•A novel design criterion based on curvature is proposed for bent boards.•A threshold curvature form is assessed for adhesively bonded components.

Space electronics are subjected to severe vibration environment. The present paper examines empirical warp-based design rules of electronic boards, i.e., criteria verifying that the ratio of maximum board warp to its length remains below a threshold percentage. An analytical approach assessed that peak stress of the board stems better from its curvature than its warp. The same applies to the adhesive peak stress by investigating a finite element model of an adhesively bonded component. Alternatively, a modified formulation based on board curvature is proposed and a threshold curvature is assessed.