IPC 6018, “Qualification and Performance Specification for High Frequency (Microwave) Printed Boards,” has been updated. The new Revision C is available from Document Center Inc. in a variety of formats. It covers single-sided, double-sided, with or without plated-through holes, multilayer with or without blind/buried vias and metal core boards.
This specification gives you the electrical, mechanical and environmental requirements for these boards. You’ll get information on final finish and surface plating coating requirements, conductors, holes/vias, frequency of acceptance testing and quality conformance. It is intended to be used with IPC 6011 and replaces the IPC 6016, which is obsolete.
There are a number of updates in this new Revision C. These include the information on HASL coatings, alternative surface finishes, edge plating, and marking. Other areas where changes have been made to the IPC 6018 are for microvia capture and target lands, copper cap plating of filled holes, copper filled microvias, PTFE smear and dielectric removal.
There has also been the release of a new supplement for the IPC 6018. This is the IPC 6018CS. The title is “Space and Military Avionics Applications Addendum to IPC-6018C Qualification and Performance Specification for High Frequency (Microwave) Printed Boards.” As you can see, this is specifically for the increased requirements for space and military avionics applications. It provides guidance for meeting the increased vibration, ground testing and thermal cyclic environments these applications mandate.
If you need a copy of either of these new IPC publications, you have a number of choices. The documents are available in paper format, for pdf download, CD Rom format, and for site licensing. Search for and order them at our Document Center webstore, www.document-center.com. Here are direct links to the order pages for some of your choices: IPC 6018 paper format, IPC 6018 PDF format, IPC 6018CS paper format and IPC 6018CS PDF format.
If you have additional questions, just get in touch with our Document Center staff. You can reach them by phone (650-591-7600) or email (info@document-center.com). We have been working with standards since 1982 and we’re an authorized IPC distributor. Make us your Standards Experts!