TABLE OF CONTENTS Understanding the importance of data and documentation, as well as how to maintain and control them, is one of the keys to producing a cost-effective end product. In today s electronics industry, printed circuit assemblies (PCAs) require that structured and controlled data be used throughout the design, documentation, revision, and procurement cycles to maintain product integrity and above all customer satisfaction. Industry standards have been in place for many years and are well defined for specific categories of documentation. Both military and commercial industries have established standards, general requirements, and guidelines for their preparation and structure. Recently, the IPC Association Connecting Electronics Industries began to revise and control the majority of guidelines for fully describing the end product and its related support drawings. Table 6.1 identifies the most common types of drawings and electronic media needed to support product procurement.
| Supporting | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawing | Common Data Format | Fabrication | Assembly/Test |
| Master pattern | Excellon | NC drill NC route board outline |
|
| Gerber plot | Circuit layers Solder mask Marking |
| |
| Assembly |
| Solder paste | |
| Master pattern | ASCII | Aperture list Drill bit data Readme.txt file |
|
| Assembly |
| Solder paste Pick and place data Parts list | |
| Board detail | HPGL plot | Manual drill and machining Manual route board outline |
|
| Assembly |
| Manual part placement Mechanical assembly | |
| Schematic | IPC-D-356 or GENCAM | Bare board test | In-circuit and functional test |
A typical printed circuit board documentation package consists...
