Commercial Electronic Parts Supplier Evaluation

The Mars Pathfinder project experienced initial workmanship problems with hybrid DC-DC power converters from a vendor who supplies primarily low-cost commercial parts. Working closely with the vendor to improve manufacturing processes and quality, the project was able to obtain some acceptable parts. Maintenance of an approved supplier list, including performance of supplier quality surveys, is increasingly important as JPL projects transition from military specification parts, to commercial specification parts where manufacturing processes may not be well documented or controlled.