Beyond Design: High-speed Rules of Thumb
Global PCB Connections: A Technical Overview of Long-flex Printed Circuit Boards
The Shaughnessy Report: A Handy Look at Rules of Thumb
These standards committee reports from IPC APEX EXPO 2016 have been compiled to help keep you up to date on IPC standards committee activities. This is the fourth and final in the series of reports.
Packaged Electronic Components
The B-11 3-D Electronic Packages Subcommittee is making significant progress on the work draft of IPC-7091, Design and Assembly Process Implementation of 3-D Components, which will describe design and assembly challenges and ways to address them for 3D component technologies. During this meeting, the subcommittee reviewed new content submissions on component handling, via hole preparation and interconnectivity, underfill, defect and failure analysis.
Rigid Printed Boards
The D-31b IPC-2221/2222 Task Group met to advance the working draft of IPC-2226A, Sectional Design Standard for HDI Printed Boards, which is the first revision effort for this standard since its original 2003 publication. The group focused on feature size recommendations for microvia structures, including target/capture land diameters, copper foil thickness for plating and print and etch, and conductor/space.
The D-33a Rigid Printed Board Performance Task Group and the 7-31a IPC-A-600 Task Group met jointly to establish goals for a future Revision E to IPC-6012, Qualification and Performance Specification for Rigid Printed Boards, including copper wrap plating, evaluations for surface finishes in production lot testing, peel strength for clad laminates, backdrilling and via fill “plate-to-plate”, often referred to as “double capping”.
The D-35 Printed Board Storage and Handling Subcommittee resolved industry comments to the Final Draft of IPC-1601A, Printed Board Handling and Storage Guidelines. The group addressed comments related to measurement of moisture content, the use of oxidation arrest paper, the impact of baking on ENEPIG and ENIG surface finishes, and recommendations for resealing opened moisture barrier bags for storage of bare printed boards. The document will be balloted in April 2016 for a targeted Q2 2016 release.
Embedded Devices
The D-55 Embedded Devices Process Implementation Subcommittee discussed interest in revising or amending IPC-7092, Design and Assembly Process Implementation for Embedded Components, which was released a year ago. One topic presented to the subcommittee was to consider ESD packaging concerns regarding PCBs with embedded components. The subcommittee also discussed a draft document on embedded components being developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
Printed Electronics
The D-61 Printed Electronics Design Subcommittee met jointly with the D-64 Printed Electronics Final Assembly Subcommittee to continue the first working draft of IPC-2292, Design Standard for Printed Electronics on Flexible Substrates. The subcommittee concentrated on drawings developed to demonstrate a dozen construction classifications, design/performance tradeoffs and conductive and non-conductive materials considerations. Once these subcommittees have a well-rounded draft document, they will break ground on IPC-6902, Qualification and Performance Specifications for Printed Electronics
The D-62 Printed Electronics Base Materials Substrates Subcommittee and D-63 Printed Electronics Functional Materials Subcommittee allowed time during their meetings for a presentation by NextFlex, America’s Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Institute. The subcommittees hope to involved NextFlex members in the revision of their two standards, IPC-4921, Requirements for Printed Electronics Base Materials (Substrates) and IPC-4591, Requirements for Printed Electronics Functional Conductive Materials.
The D-64a Printed Electronics Terms and Definitions Task Group broke ground on revising the recently released IPC-6903, Terms and Definitions for the Design and Manufacture of Printed Electronics. The focus of this draft will be to revise terms in the existing standard, based on industry feedback, and to bring in new terms which need standardized definitions.
The D-65 Printed Electronics Test Methods Development Subcommittee discussed the working draft of IPC-9204, Guideline on Flexibility and Stretchability Test Methods for Printed Electronics. The document received no comments from the subcommittee during its review, so the subcommittee will send it to some key IPC members from the TAEC and other testing groups to generate feedback and ideas for improvement/clarification of the guideline. Once published, this guideline will serve as an aggregation of known, non-standardized test procedures for the stretchable and wearable printed electronics market. The guideline will be for information and educational purposes, while industry develops standardized test methods, a process which could take years.
Intellectual Property
The E-22 PB Fab Intellectual Property Subcommittee met to discuss changes it made to IPC-1071A, Intellectual Property Protection in Printed Board Manufacturing. The subcommittee made the changes to align the standard with IPC-1072, Intellectual Property Protection in Electronics Assembly Manufacturing.
