What happens in Phoenix… gets reported right here

Select IPC committees held a productive week of meetings in Phoenix in mid-January. Each staff liaison has been asked to share the progress made. John Perry, IPC technical project manager, reported in on his printed board committees below.

Printed Board Design

The IPC 1-10c Test Coupon and Artwork Generation Task Group met to review a future Addendum to the IPC-2221A, Generic Standard on Printed Board Design.  The addendum will represent an “overhaul” of existing test coupon designs currently provided in section 12.4 of the IPC-2221A. To date a new A/B-R plated-through hole evaluation coupon design has been approved as a replacement for the legacy A and B and A/B test coupon designs. In addition, the task group submitted proposed designs for a new “D” interconnect resistance coupon and a new “G” solder mask adhesion coupon.

Cleaning and Coating

The 5-33c Conformal Coating Handbook Task Group continued with the development of a 1^st Working Draft for Revision A to IPC-HDBK-830, Guidelines for Design, Selection and Application of Conformal Coatings. The task group outlined plans for new sections highlighting the application of conformal coatings in the automotive and medical industries. The task group also discussed current efforts with the new 5-33f Potting and Encapsulation Task Group which will be developing a guideline on potting and encapsulation materials and processes. The 5-33c task group will seek to coordinate efforts with the 5-33f task group as both groups work on their respective documents.

Flexible Circuits

The D-12 Flexible Circuits Performance Specification continued drafting new microvia and HDI requirements for flexible printed boards as part of an overall effort to update the IPC-6010 Board Qualification and Performance Series with relevant requirements and subsequently cancel the outdated IPC-6016 HDI standard.  A 1^st Working Draft for IPC-6013 Revision C was developed as a result of these efforts.

Rigid Printed Boards

The D-31b IPC-2221/2222 Task Group reviewed submissions for new sections to the forthcoming IPC-2221B, Generic Standard on Printed Board Design, relating to various surface finishes, including electroless nickel, electroless palladium, immersion gold (ENEPIG), Electroless Nickel/Immersion Gold/Electroless Gold (ENEG), and lead-free solders. 

Members of the D-33a and 7-31a task groups prepared IPC-6012C, Qualification and Performance Specification for Rigid Printed Boards, and IPC-A-600H, Acceptability of Printed Boards, for ballot in February 2010. These revised documents will address new requirements for cap plating in holes, new methodologies for thermal stress testing, etchback and smear removal, and updated surface plating requirements, including lead-free solders.

The D-35 Printed Board Storage and Handling Subcommittee completed review of Section 6, Printed Board Receiving, Storage and Assembly, of the working draft for IPC-1601, Printed Board Handling and Storage Guidelines.  The subcommittee is preparing the document for a Final Draft for Industry Review circulation in February 2010.

Embedded Devices

The D-51 Embedded Devices Design Subcommittee advanced work on an outline for the future IPC-2227, Sectional Design Standard for Printed Boards Containing Embedded Devices. The attendees reviewed a new JPCA standard addressing active embedded devices in addition to passive embedded devices, as providing by Aki Shibata of the Japan Electronics Packaging and Circuits Association (JPCA). The subcommittee discussed approving elements of this document for inclusion within IPC-2227.

For more information on any of these activities, drafts or minutes, visit the committee home pages or contact John Perry, IPC technical project manager.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.