● Part number information
Information: This information defines the part number to be built, including revision number, releases, dates, etc.
Format: This information is typically provided in the part drawing or may be provided as an additional text file.
● Fabrication drawing
Information: This drawing describes the unpopulated printed board and all features that become part of the board. It may contain specific design requirements such as material requirements, multilayer stack-up diagram, dielectric separation between layers, controlled impedance requirements, solder mask type, nomenclature color, location, size requirements for the fabricator’s ID, Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL), electrostatic discharge (ESD), country of origin, and dimensional tolerances, as well as testing and electrical performance expectations. The dimensional datum should be clearly identified. Format: Common formats for drawings are Adobe PDF, HP-GL, HP-GL-II, and PostScript.
● Drill drawing
Information: Although the drill data are provided via data files, this information typically contains only the location of holes and the tool number. The drill drawing identifies
the location of the datum reference planes and the coordinate dimensioning system of
the board. The tool number is referenced against the drill drawings to determine the required sizes, plating status, size tolerances, and the total count for verification. This is for plated (TH), non-plated (NPTH), blind/buried vias, and countersink holes. Format: Common formats for drawings are Adobe PDF, HP-GL, HP-GL-II, and PostScript.
● Subpanel drawing
Information: Many assembly operations require boards to be provided in a subpanel form (many parts on one shippable unit). The drawings define the orientation and position
of each part, the subpanel dimensions, tooling hole information, special markings, and specific manufacturing processes and tolerances. Format: Common formats for drawings are Adobe PDF, HP-GL, HP-GL-II, and PostScript.
● Manufacturing notes
Information: Manufacturing information is usually included on the fabrication drawing or attached documents. This document details the following:
● Board details: The type, size, and shape of the printed board, bow and twist allowances, overall board thickness requirements, including tolerances, tooling hole information, special markings, and specific manufacturing processes and tolerances.
● Materials: Type class and grade of materials, including color if applicable. Plating and coating material(s), type, thickness, and tolerances. Solder mask and marking inks type, minimum thickness, and permanency.
● Conductors: Shape and arrangement of both conductors and nonconductor patterns, thickness, dimensions, and tolerances, including conductor width and spacing allowances.
● Acceptability: Location of quality conformance coupons or circuitry, control documents for acceptability, X-OUTs accepted, and assembly-panel concerns.
Format: Common formats for drawings are Adobe PDF, HP-GL, HP-GL-II, and PostScript.
● Artwork data
Information: These data consist of files for each circuit layer, coating (e.g., solder mask), marking (i.e., nomenclature), solder paste, hole plugging, and possible test-probing layer.
Format: The data required are usually RS-274X, commonly called Gerber data or ODB++ (Orbitech Data Base). Gerber and ODB++ data are provided as standard output from most PCB CAD systems. Other possible formats include GenCAM and the new IPC-2581.
● Aperture list files
Information: The definitions of the shapes used for drawing are required for each layer
provided of artwork data. Special shapes, such as thermal pads, should specifically define
their method of construction.
Format: This information is usually provided as a text file, although the information may
also be defined at the beginning of the individual artwork files, including constructions of
complex apertures.
● Drill data
Information: This information may consist of a single or multiple file(s), and defines the location and tool number used for each hole in the PCB. The files required should define all plated, unplated (which can be combined with plated if fully defined), buried via, and blind via layers.
Format: Common data files provided are in Excel format.
● Drill tool files
Information: This information describes the size, plating status, layer-from, and layer-to (in the case of buried and blind vias), drill-data forma,t and filenames. This information is referenced against the drill drawing.
Format: This information is usually provided as a text file, although the information may also be defined at the beginning of the individual drill files.
● Special requirements information
Information: The drawing or a file should describe any special requirements not defined in other information. Typical of such requirements would be the details and image enlargement of “break-away” tabs on a subpanel or details of “hole-plugging” requirements. It is important for the PCB designer not to assume that requirements are understood, but to refer to specifications or clearly define the requirements.
Format: This information is typically provided in the part drawing or may be provided as
an additional text or drawing file.
● Netlist data
Information: Netlist data defines the connectivity of the circuitry.
Format: This information can be provided from the CAD systems in various formats, or it can be extracted from the drill and artwork data .Contact the PCB manufacturer for compatible mats if the netlist data are to be provided directly. The IPC has defined a neutral format, IPC- 356, that provides all the information necessary for netlist and electrical test fixture creation. In addition, the IPC has defined an alternative neutral standard format for most of the previously defined data. These formats provide simpler processing at the manufacturer. They include IPC-D-350, IPC-2511 (GenCAM), and IPC-2581 (the offspring of ODB++ and GenCAM). These formats can be generated by most PCB CAD systems and processed by most PCB CAM/tooling systems. The PCB customer should review the compatibility of these formats with the PCB manufacturer prior to sending data formatted with them.