"EOS Tests"

Along with the call for products with increased or improved "EOS robustness", also so-called "EOS tests" are propagated. 2015 an online search for the keywords "IEC 61000-4-5" (i.e. the "surge immunity test") and "EOS" (or "electrical overstress") produced approximately 9000 hits. However, at the same time there was only the latch-up standard IEC 60749-29 with a reference to "electrical overstress" to be found on the website of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Also in connection with "EOS tests" it is apparently often forgotten, that electrical overstress (EOS) is not a stress type but a violation of the absolute maximum ratings (AMR) of a product. Consequently, the term "EOS test" does not describe the experimental validation of the "EOS robustness" of a product, but the intentional violation of the AMR of the given product. However, since the AMR of a product are actually meant to prevent that product from being damaged, it does not make any sense to run an "EOS test".

In contrast, it is necessary to validate the AMR of a product in order to avoid EOS-induced damage of that product. This can be achieved for instance by making sure that there are no failures when AMR are verified in the course of parametric, functional and qualification tests of that product.