The Shaughnessy Report: Winning the Signal Integrity Battle
Connect the Dots: How to Avoid Five Common Causes of Board Failure
IPC Standards: Ticket to a Safe Passage
October 26, 2023 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
John Watson, CID, is a customer success manager with Altium who also teaches PCB design at Palomar College in Carlsbad, California. He’s noticed that most of his students are primarily new to the industry and not familiar with IPC standards. In his classes, he teaches how to use these standards while trying to help students access the documents more easily.
When we met with John, we asked him to discuss the importance of understanding IPC standards, the price you’ll pay if you decide not to follow them, and his plans for getting new designers on board with standards as early as possible in their careers.
Andy Shaughnessy: John, many of your students have never had an introduction to IPC standards and don’t know why they could help them with their designs. Where is the disconnect?
John Watson: True, but there’s an underlying issue. There’s another group of designers who don't follow any standards. When I ask them what standard they’re following, they respond that they don’t follow standards. But that’s like building a house with no measuring tape. I look at PCB design and manufacturing as an all-in-one package, where it’s combined with a fabrication drawing and an assembly drawing; it’s a contract and bill for services.
IPC standards are the drivers of the fabrication process. They guide designers and explain what they should be doing. When I ask these designers why they don’t use them, often they’ll say, “I want to reinvent the wheel.” I’ll tell them, “Do you know how difficult that is? You have an entire system and structure here of standards that have been developed through experts in the industry, and you want to ignore them?”
Barry Matties: At the very least, that unnecessarily elevates risk.
Watson: That's right. You're asking a fab house to build a board not based on any guidelines. If you don't aim for anything, you're bound to hit it. That’s what can happen if you don't have a guideline to direct you when you're designing the PCB. It’s a recipe for failure.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the October 2023 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
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 Global Electronics Association Hosts Successful WorksAsia-AI and Factory of the Future Technical Seminar
09/03/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationOn August 22, 2025, the Global Electronics Association hosted the successful WorksAsia-AI and Factory of the Future Technical Seminar during the exhibition Automation Taipei 2025. The seminar brought together 81 representatives from 58 companies, focusing on the latest applications of AI in smart factories and unveiling four key directions that will drive the electronics industry’s transition toward intelligence and sustainability.
Standard of Friendship: Debbie McDade and Symon Franklin Went From Classmates to Colleagues
08/27/2025 | Debbie McDade, Advanced Rework Technology Ltd.As a fairly new IPC Master Trainer, I nervously attended my first IPC committee meeting in 2002 in New Orleans—a 4,600-mile trip from my home in the UK—for the IPC-610 Task Group. With more than 250 members, it was the largest IPC committee at that time.
Securing the Future: The Battle for America's Flat Panel Display Industry
08/12/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007The production and sourcing of flat panel displays have become a focal point of concern, particularly regarding national security. In this interview, Jim Will, executive director of the U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE), provides insights into the essential role of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in both defense systems and everyday technology. Their conversation delves into the implications of America's dependence on Chinese manufacturers for these critical components, raising alarms about supply chain vulnerabilities amidst rising geopolitical tensions.
Global Excellence in PCB Design: The Global Electronics Association Expands to Italy
08/07/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationIn today's rapidly evolving electronics industry, printed circuit boards (PCBs) serve as the critical backbone influencing the success, reliability, and time-to-market of countless products. Recognizing this essential role, the Global Electronics Association (formerly IPC), a worldwide leader in electronics standards, certification, and education, is now expanding its internationally acclaimed PCB design training to Italy.
Dana on Data: Best Practices in Interpreting Drawing Notes—‘Use Latest Revision’
08/07/2025 | Dana Korf -- Column: Dana on DataThe global nature of electronics manufacturing requires clear, consistent, and precise communication, particularly in technical documentation. An area where miscommunication often arises is in interpreting drawing notes—small lines of text with the potential to dramatically impact product quality, manufacturing efficiency, and customer satisfaction.