Fujitsu driving PCB design standard

RICHARDSON, USA: Fujitsu announced its participation in the IPC-2581 Consortium, comprised of printed circuit board (PCB) designers, developers and manufacturers. The Consortium is dedicated to accelerating the adoption of IPC-2581, a vendor-neutral global standard reducing errors in PCB development by automating the exchange of data among supply chain participants.

Traditional approaches to PCB design and manufacturing have relied on a manual exchange of data between collaborating companies. Instructions and component specifications are often transferred between companies using spreadsheets, hand drawn diagrams or notes made during the course of discussions. This unsophisticated approach results in errors due to misunderstandings or the extra step of transferring data and instructions from an unstructured format, i.e., handwritten notes or spreadsheets, to the applications used to layout the elements of and manufacture each PCB.

The purpose of the IPC-2581 standard is to remove those opportunities for human error by creating a universal schema for the automatic sharing of data between PCB design applications; electronic manufacturing services; and fabrication, assembly and test companies.

“From the earliest stages of product design through customer implementation we remain focused on achieving the highest possible quality,” said Hans Roehrig, senior VP of operations and manufacturing, Fujitsu Network Communications. “We are pleased to participate in the IPC-2581 Consortium and we call on others in the PCB supply chain to do the same. At the end of the day, industry providers will profit from fewer mistakes and a faster time to market. Most importantly, customers will receive the products they need with the quality they expect.”

The IPC-2581 Consortium operates under the purview of the IPC—Association Connecting Electronics Industries, which since 1957 has guided the electronic interconnection industry. A global trade association dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its more than 2,900 member companies, IPC represents all facets of the industry including design, PCB manufacturing and electronics assembly.