It’s no secret that the standards situation in PCB design, manufacturing, and assembly is anything but standard. This alphabet soup of documents and guidelines can be a confusing maze even for veteran professionals. This month, we untangle the often-confusing world of standards.

We start with a conversation with Karen McConnell of Northrop Grumman, who offers an update on the committees she chairs. Then, Gary Carter of XPLM and Michael Ford of Aegis Software who discuss their work merging IPC-2581 with IPC’s CFX into DPMX, a design-through-assembly standard. They’ve been working on this for some time, but they’re almost ready to make an announcement. Next, Leo Lambert of EPTAC addresses the move by IPC to change the way standards and training documents are developed, including some methods for eliminating errors and duplicated comments during revision. We also have a conversation with Emma Hudson of Gen3 Systems who explains her work on a committee that seeks to streamline and “harmonize” IPC standards with other global organizations’ standards.

Karel Tavernier of Ucamco provides an article explaining why so many PCB designers still use Gerber, and how Ucamco has continued to update the tried-and-true format. Max Clark of Mentor, a Siemens Business, traces the development of ODB++ and breaks down the advantages of using this format that’s already installed at many manufacturing facilities. Linda Mazzitelli of PTC offers details about the IPC-2581 and how DPMX will help optimize Industry 4.0. And columnist Tim Haag explains why you should listen to your boss if they say, “Check the standard.”

We also have a great article by our columnist John Coonrod, “Insertion Loss Performance Differences Due to Plated Finish and Different Circuit Structures.” Further, we bring you columns by our regular contributors, including Barry Olney (with his 100th column!), Stephen Chavez, Bob Tise, and Phil Kinner.

DESIGN007:

Features

Columns

Articles

Insertion Loss Performance Differences Due to Plated Finish and Circuit Structure, by John Coonrod, Rogers Corporation





FLEX007 SECTION:

We’re heading into fall, but the electronics industry is still smoking hot. Flexible circuits are continuing to find their way into almost every type of device. With the advent of 5G and IoT, flex standards are more critical than ever, especially for rigid board designers who have been forced into designing flexible circuits. This month we explore the world of standards for flexible circuits

We begin with an interview with Nick Koop of TTM Technologies, the vice-chair of IPC’s

Flexible Circuits Committee and co-chair of the 6013 Subcommittee. He discusses some of the updated versions of flex standards that are soon to be released—such as IPC-2223 and IPC-6013—and why these committee members must perform a balancing act by incorporating new processes as quickly as possible, but only after they’ve proven their viability.

Next, columnist Joe Fjelstad of Verdant Electronics breaks down the various types of standards related to flex and rigid circuits and addresses why it’s no exaggeration to say that standards are what hold the electronics industry together. Then, Dominique K. Numakura of DKN Research follows up with a look at a simple process hailing from Taiwan that creates “monocoque” 3D printed circuits by printing silver-based traces on thermoplastic sheets. The result isn’t exactly a rigid or flexible circuit, but a totally novel idea.