PCB Blog - Which standard should be IPC-6012 or IPC-A-600?

The Institute of Printed Circuits Board continuously publishes performance documents to manage PCB industry practices. Two of these documents are IPC-6012 and IPC-A-600.

Since 1957, the Association for Connecting the Electronics Industry (commonly known as IPC) has been an international trade association providing services for the printed circuit board and electronic assembly industry.

We will focus on the following points in this article.

1. What does IPC stand for?

--- What is IPC-6012?

--- What is IPC-A-600?

--- Differences between IPC-6012 and IPC-A-600.

--- Which standard is correct, IPC-6012 or IPC-A-600?

--- The organization was initially called the Institute of Printed Circuits Board and was later renamed the Institute of Interconnection and Packaging Electronic Circuits. IPC took the lead in formulating new standards for PCB materials, PCB design, identification and performance.

2. What is IPC-6012?

IPC-6012: Quality and Performance Specification for Printed Circuit Boards. IPC-6012 is a specification for establishing rigid plate manufacturing performance and qualification requirements. These specifications apply to the following technologies:

--- Single side

--- Multilayer board

--- Active/passive embedded circuit board

--- Metal core printed circuit board

3. 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 product. It describes the ideal, acceptable and non-negotiated conditions that can be observed on the printed board. It represents a visual interpretation of the minimum requirements set forth in various printed circuit board specifications (e.g. IPC-6010 series).

The visual illustrations in the IPC-A-600 document depict specific standards that apply to the performance requirements of the IPC-6010 series of documents. Customers and manufacturers can also agree on acceptable standards to replace the requirements of corresponding IPC standards.

4. What is the difference between IPC-6012 and IPC-A-600?

IPC-6012 or IPC-A-600? What is the difference between these documents? This may be a thorny issue in the current industry.

IPC-6012 is a performance specification document. It defines the default requirements and specifications for each type of PCB (Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3).

PCBs belonging to Category 1 are conventional electronic boards with the shortest service life and simpler functions, such as those used for remote controllers.

Class 2 PCB is a service electronic product with long service life. These boards are usually used in televisions, computers, or air conditioners.

Level 3 PCBs have tighter tolerances than Level 1 and Level 2 PCBs. These PCBs are commonly used in military applications, medical devices, and the aerospace industry.

IPC-6012 and IPC-A-600 are applicable to rigid printed circuit boards. IPC-6012 provides the basic acceptance criteria, while IPC-A-600 only provides a visual explanation of these requirements, showing examples of acceptable and rejectable versions.

5. IPC-6012 or IPC-A-600, which standard is correct?

When manufacturing rigid PCBs, we need to use IPC 6012 specifications. This document defines manufacturers' requirements for all three types of PCB boards.

6. conclusion

IPC-6012 and IPC-A-600 are the two main guidance documents, also known as performance and inspection documents. IPC-6012 is a specification, while IPC-A-600 is a visual representation of IPC-6012 documents. They both went hand in hand.