-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueVoices 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.
The Essential Guide to Surface Finishes
We go back to basics this month with a recount of a little history, and look forward to addressing the many challenges that high density, high frequency, adhesion, SI, and corrosion concerns for harsh environments bring to the fore. We compare and contrast surface finishes by type and application, take a hard look at the many iterations of gold plating, and address palladium as a surface finish.
It's Show Time!
In this month’s issue of PCB007 Magazine we reimagine the possibilities featuring stories all about IPC APEX EXPO 2025—covering what to look forward to, and what you don’t want to miss.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
Happy’s Essential Skills: Computer-Aided-Manufacturing, Part 1—Automation Protocols
September 14, 2016 | Happy HoldenEstimated reading time: 19 minutes

I have addressed automation planning previously in this series, so I hope by now you realize the difference between ‘automation’ and ‘mechanization.’ In printed circuit fabrication and assembly, most of what is advertised is mechanization. But when you get to assembly test, then you begin to see true automated solutions. The difference between the two is the networking and protocols that supply the information and data. An industry for us to look to as an example: our brothers in semiconductor fabrication. This industry has had fully automated factories since the mid-1980s.
INTRODUCTION
This column is dedicated to the automation protocols that currently exist and some new ones just coming on the market. In Part 2, I will present some examples from my own projects.
The ‘messages and recipe data’ needed for production scheduling-to-machine connections has evolved over the years. The selections to be covered here are:
- Serial RS-232C/RS-485
- Parallel IEEE-488/HP-IB
- MAPS™ protocol
- SECS I & SECII/GEM protocols
- OML
- IPC-2541
- LAN (IEEE-802.3 and TCP/IP)
- Wireless and IoT
Recipe-to-Machine and Machine-to-Machine
When I started working with automation control in 1970, we had ASCII characters in parallel cabling. So we started by using these printer and teletype protocols to control machines. Sometimes, we had only BCD to work with! Today you have the ‘lights-out-factory’ and Industry 4.0 initiatives. A lot of progress is the result of the automotive industry’s application of PLCs and robots to manufacturing. Figure 1 shows what the Germans foresee for Industry 4.0[1]. Figure 2 shows the 4-level hierarchy of CAM, while Figure 3 shows typical networked factory control units.
Figure 1: The scope of Industry 4.0 enables an intelligent plant (planet). (Source: Advantech)
Figure 2: Enterprise and plant control topology showing the 4-level hierarchy. (Source: Renesas Edge—Big Data in Manufacturing)
I was fortunate to be employed by Hewlett-Packard. Their 2116-model computers (and later, the 2110) were real-time-interrupt driven computers and ideal for machine control. HP had even developed a CNC machine control system but decided not to sell it since it did not fit their instrument or computer sales force’s experience. They sold all the CNC systems to Allen Bradley in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Thus, I ended up working frequently with AB to buy back the software that HP had developed. This was serendipitous as AB introduced me to their programmable logic controller (PLC) technology. PLCs became a major tool in machine control.
Figure 3: Typical industrial automation controllers and PLCs. (Source: Wenatchee Valley College, Nevada)
Page 1 of 5
Suggested Items
IPC Strengthens Global Leadership Team with Addition of Joe Schneider as Vice President of U.S/Canada
04/25/2025 | IPCIPC, the global electronics association, announces the strategic appointment of Joe Schneider as vice president of U.S./Canada. This newly created executive position underscores the association’s commitment to championing the electronics industry's critical contributions to this region’s innovation and economic growth.
TRI at SMTA Wisconsin Expo 2025
04/24/2025 | TRITest Research, Inc. (TRI), the leading test and inspection systems provider for the electronics manufacturing industry, will join the SMTA Wisconsin Expo 2025.
SMTA Bridging the Skills Gap in Arizona
04/24/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007One area where SMTA really excels is through its local chapters. On April 16, 2025, I-Connect007's Marcy LaRont attended the Workforce Breakfast during the SMTA Arizona Expo & Tech Forum in Mesa, which featured more than 50 electronics professionals from the local area, including defense OEMs, and others who were attending for the first time. Blackfox and Hyrel Technologies sponsored the event. The keynote presentation featured Sean Denny, a professor at Estrella Mountain Community College, who emphasized a clear need for skilled hand soldering technicians.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: IPC's Growth and Future in India's Manufacturing Sector
04/23/2025 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOGaurab Majumdar, VP for IPC in SE Asia and India, highlights IPC's impressive growth in India, with certification numbers rising significantly. The Indian manufacturing sector is projected to reach a $300 billion market, alongside a $10 billion investment in semiconductors. IPC is addressing industry demands through standards development and a new workforce project aimed at training students for job placements.
Critical Manufacturing, Twinzo Partner to Deliver Real-Time Digital Twin Visualization for Smart Factories
04/23/2025 | Critical ManufacturingCritical Manufacturing, a leading provider of Industry 4.0 focused manufacturing execution systems (MES), has partnered with Twinzo, an innovator in real-time 3D digital twin technology.