-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current Issue
Spotlight on North America
A North America spotlight exploring tariffs, reshoring, AI demand, and supply chain challenges. Plus, insights on cybersecurity, workforce development, and the evolving role of U.S. electronics manufacturing.
Wire Harness Solutions
Explore what’s shaping wire harness manufacturing, and how new solutions are helping companies streamline operations and better support EMS providers. Take a closer look at what’s driving the shift.
Spotlight on Europe
As Europe’s defense priorities grow and supply chains are reassessed, industry and policymakers are pushing to rebuild regional capability. This issue explores how Europe is reshaping its electronics ecosystem for a more resilient future.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Global Electronics Association Releases Q4 Standards and Revisions Update
December 24, 2025 | Global Electronics AssociationEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Each quarter, the Global Electronics Association releases a list of standards that are new or have been updated. To view a complete list of newly published standards and standards revisions, translations, proposed standards for ballot, final drafts for industry review, working drafts, and project approvals, visit electronics.org/ipc-standards. These are the latest releases for Q4 2025.
IPC-4556A
Specification for Electroless Nickel/Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold (ENEPIG) Plating for Printed Boards
This performance specification sets the requirements for the use of Electroless Nickel/Electroless Palladium/Immersion Gold (ENEPIG) as a surface finish for printed boards. This performance specification defines ENEPIG deposit thicknesses for applications including soldering, wire bonding, and as a contact finish. It is intended for use by chemical suppliers, printed board manufacturers, electronics manufacturing services (EMS), and original equipment manufacturers (OEM). This standard may be used to specify acceptance criteria to meet performance requirements in addition to those found in the IPC-6010 series (IPC-6012, IPC-6013, and IPC-6018) of standards.
IPC-2591 V2.0
Connected Factory Exchange (CFX)
This standard establishes the requirements for the omnidirectional exchange of information between manufacturing processes and associated host systems for assembly manufacturing. This standard applies to communication between all executable processes in the manufacture of printed board assemblies—automated, semiautomated, and manual—and is applicable to related mechanical assembly and transactional processes. This Connected Factory Exchange (CFX) standard provides a true ‘‘plug and play’’ Internet of Things (IoT) communication environment throughout manufacturing, where all equipment, manufacturing processes, and transactional stations can communicate with each other without the need for the development and use of bespoke interfaces. CFX-enabled equipment and solutions from different vendors work seamlessly together.
See the full list in the Fall 2025 issue of Community Magazine.
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
The Chemical Connection: When the Industry Moves Faster Than the Standards
04/29/2026 | Don Ball -- Column: The Chemical ConnectionAs a supplier of wet processing equipment, we have rules and standards we must adhere to, including both regional and national electrical codes and safety and environmental regulations, as well as myriad other standards to make the equipment safe to use. Things are a little different when it comes to rules and standards for manufacturing PCBs, though, because technical advances and requirements change so quickly that standards can’t keep up.
Building Industry-ready Talent Through Standards-based Education
04/27/2026 | Global Electronics AssociationRecently, Sichuan Modern Vocational College organized 132 students to complete IPC-A-610 Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies Certified IPC Specialist (CIS) training and certification.
UHDI Fundamentals: Standardization, Workforce, and the Road Ahead for Flex–Packaging Integration, Part 3
04/22/2026 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsParts 1 and 2 of this series established the technical foundation and application landscape for the convergence of flexible PCBs and advanced semiconductor packaging. Part 3 addresses what comes next: the standards frameworks, talent pipelines, and strategic imperatives that will determine whether the industry can scale this convergence reliably and competitively.
Single Pair Ethernet (SPE): A Valuable Option for Modern Designs
04/20/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007When it comes to designing PCBs and full systems for increasingly complex electronics hardware, who doesn’t want to reduce complexity and cost? Single-Pair Ethernet (SPE) has emerged as a solution and is gaining rapid attention across industrial electronics and PCB design because it enables Ethernet communication over a single twisted pair, replacing the traditional two- or four-pair cabling used in standard Ethernet networks. This seemingly simple shift has significant implications for designers: smaller connectors, reduced cable weight, longer reach, and the ability to carry both data and power over a single pair.
PHOTO GALLERY: Putting in the Work on Standards, Professional Development
04/16/2026 | I-Connect007Behind every standard, innovation, and step forward in electronics are the people who show up to do the work. This week's photo gallery highlights the attendees who filled meeting rooms and classrooms throughout APEX, collaborating on standards development committees, sharing expertise, and investing in their own growth through professional development. These are the faces of progress, gathered not just to learn, but to contribute and shape what comes next.