Design

This desktop reference guide describes how IPC’s printed board design standards integrate into a typical design workflow. It offers insights into common design practices and points out where to find detailed requirements and recommendations in the IPC standards library. While not exhaustive in technical depth, this document highlights key elements of the printed board design process and serves as a bridge between IPC standards and practical applications.

The printed board designer is responsible for understanding how to create designs in their ECAD environment and how those designs inform the subsequent processes in the electronics manufacturing pipeline. While this document presents these processes as discrete steps, the designer must remember that each phase is interdependent, as outputs from one stage feed into the next, requiring coordination between designers and various stakeholders such as fabrication, assembly, and testing teams. Integrating IPC standards at each stage of the design process can help ensure consistency, quality, and manufacturability while offering flexibility to accommodate various tools and platforms. By adhering to these standards, designers can achieve optimal performance while reducing manufacturing and product development risks.