The Printed Circuit Society continually publishes performance documents that govern PCB industry practices. Two of these documents are IPC-6012 and IPC-A-600.
The Association to Connect the Electronics Industry (commonly known as IPC) is an international trade association that has served the printed circuit board and electronics assembly industries since 1957.
In this blog post, we will focus on the following points.
- What does IPC stand for?
- What is IPC-6012?
- What is IPC-A-600?
- Difference between IPC-6012 and IPC-A-600
What does the IPC stand for?
The organization was originally called the Institute of Printed Circuits,It was later renamed the Institute of Interconnected and Packaged Electronic Circuits. IPC pioneered new standards for PCB materials, design, certification and performance.
What is IPC-6012?
IPC-6012: Specification for Quality and Performance of Rigid Printed Circuit Boards. IPC-6012 is a specification establishing performance and qualification requirements for rigid panel fabrication. These specifications apply to the following technologies:
- Single-sided
- Multilayer boards
- Active/passive embedded circuit boards
- Metal core boards
What is IPC-A-600?
IPC-A-600: Acceptability of printed boards. IPC-A-600 – also known as IPC-600 – sets acceptance criteria for each type of product. It describes the ideal, acceptable and non-negotiable conditions that can be observed on a printed board. It represents a visual interpretation of the minimum requirements specified in various printed board specifications such as the IPC-6010 series.
The visual illustrations in the IPC-A-600 document depict the specific standards that apply the performance requirements of the IPC-6010 series of documents. Customers and manufacturers can also agree on acceptance criteria that supersede the requirements of the corresponding IPC standard.
What is the difference between IPC-6012 and IPC-A-600?
IPC-6012 or IPC-A-600? What is the difference between these files? This can be a thorny problem running in the industry right now.
IPC-6012 is a performance specification document. It defines the default requirements and specifications for each type of PCB (Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3).
PCBs belonging to class 1 are general purpose electronic boards with the shortest life and simpler functions, such as those used for remote controls.
Class 2 PCBs are service electronics that last longer. These boards are often used in televisions, computers or air conditioners.
Type 3 PCBs have tighter tolerances compared to Type 1 and 2 PCBs. These PCBs are commonly used in military applications, medical equipment, and the aerospace industry.
Download our IPC Class 3 Design Guidelines:
Both IPC-6012 and IPC-A-600 files are for rigid printed circuit boards. IPC-6012 provides practical acceptance criteria,Whereas IPC-A-600 simply provides a visual explanation of these requirements, showing examples of acceptable and rejected versions of these requirements.
IPC-6012 or IPC-A-600, which standard is appropriate?
IPC 6012 is the specification we need to use when we have to make rigid PCBs. This document specifies the requirements that manufacturers must meet for all three types of circuit boards.
Conclusion
IPC-6012 and IPC-A-600 are the two main guidance documents, also known as performance and verification documents. IPC-6012 is the specification and IPC-A-600 is the visual representation of the IPC-6012 document. They both go hand in hand.
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