IPC 2581, Revision C – Generic Requirements for Printed Board Assembly Products Manufacturing Description Data and Transfer Methodology

IPC-2581 specifies the XML schema that represents the intelligent data file format used to describe printed board and printed board assembly products with details sufficient for tooling, manufacturing, assembly, and inspection requirements. This format may be used for transmitting information between a printed board designer and a manufacturing or assembly facility. The data is most useful when the manufacturing cycle includes computer-aided processes and numerical control machines.

The data can be defined in either English or International System of Units (SI) units.

Purpose

The generic format requirements are provided in a series of standards focused on printed board manufacturing, assembly, and inspection testing. This standard series consists of a generic standard (IPC-2581) that contains all the general requirements. There are seven sectional standards that are focused on the XML details necessary to accumulate information in the single file, that address the needs of the manufacturing disciplines producing a particular product.

The sectional standards (IPC-2582 through 2588) paraphrase the important requirements and provide suggested usage and examples for the topic covered by the sectional standard.