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Current IssueThe Hole Truth: Via Integrity in an HDI World
From the drilled hole to registration across multiple sequential lamination cycles, to the quality of your copper plating, via reliability in an HDI world is becoming an ever-greater challenge. This month we look at “The Hole Truth,” from creating the “perfect” via to how you can assure via quality and reliability, the first time, every time.
In Pursuit of Perfection: Defect Reduction
For bare PCB board fabrication, defect reduction is a critical aspect of a company's bottom line profitability. In this issue, we examine how imaging, etching, and plating processes can provide information and insight into reducing defects and increasing yields.
Voices of the Industry
We take the pulse of the PCB industry by sharing insights from leading fabricators and suppliers in this month's issue. We've gathered their thoughts on the new U.S. administration, spending, the war in Ukraine, and their most pressing needs. It’s an eye-opening and enlightening look behind the curtain.
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IPC Releases More Test Coupons for IPC-2221B Gerber Coupon Generator
May 23, 2018 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries would like to announce the release of additional test coupons for the IPC-2221B Gerber Coupon Generator, an exclusive annual subscription service for IPC member companies. The IPC-2221B Gerber Coupon Generator subscription service is the only service providing new, industry approved test coupons addressing blind, buried, stacked and staggered via structures. The most commonly used coupons for product acceptance are “AB,” “AB/R” and “D” which were introduced in 2016.
The tool is now updated with new features and coupons as requested by our members including updated “B” and “D” Coupon designs that support not only through-hole but also stacked and staggered (a.k.a. “propagated”) structures featuring blind and buried vias. Designated sections of the “B” Coupon for both registration and structural integrity evaluations are now included. The new “H” Coupon design for evaluating surface insulation resistance (SIR) has been introduced as well as the new “S” Coupon design for evaluating through-hole solderability. Finally, the new “P” Coupon design for evaluating the peel strength of outer layer metallic foils has been added.
Additional coupon designs for surface mount solderability testing, moisture and insulation resistance (MIR) testing of laminated base materials and solder mask adhesion testing are slated for release later this year and will be incorporated into the subscription service free of additional charge.
The IPC-2221B Gerber Coupon Generator subscription service is a simple, easy-to-use Design Parameters/Input File, that utilizes an auto quality check feature, ensuring the design rules for the test designs are met. What used to take hours to generate Gerber files from the CAD/CAM user will now only take minutes.
The IPC-2221B Gerber Coupon Generator with the new designs is available as an annual subscription, meeting current printed board design parameters to generate Gerber Files of IPC-2221B Appendix A test coupon designs at any time. This allows users to generate coupons when they want, and as often as they need. To learn more, click here.
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