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IPC Certification: Leading the Way in Ensuring Quality in Electronics
February 27, 2024 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
When high school students face an upcoming test, they may experience a mix of dread and excitement, depending on the source material and how well they’ve prepared. Similarly, professionals sitting for a certification exam to test their knowledge of IPC standards may feel a whirlwind of emotions. However, these aren't just any exams; they’re meant for operators, engineers, and managers building the critical infrastructure of our world’s most essential electronics systems.
Why is certification necessary? Simply put, standards certification provides a foundation of proven knowledge for our most vital electronics manufacturing systems. The process to create the standards against which these systems are measured is both rigorous and meticulous. The examination process mirrors that depth, ensuring that individuals remain proficient in applying IPC standards even while the technology evolves.
Each IPC standard has a separate certification committee, and those committees are tasked with writing and developing new exam questions and answers. “Some of the standards are very broad, with more than 400 pages of technical guidelines and instructions,” says Joe Williams, IPC director of certification, “so obviously we can’t test on every detail, but we make sure to assess the most pertinent information.”
Certification committees work closely with IPC staff liaisons to provide guidelines about what the committee believes professionals in the field need to know, such as common elements in the workplace. We repeat this process for each standard, which amounts to hundreds of items under review.
To read more about IPC's certification process, click here. This article originally appeared in the Winter 2024 issue of IPC Community.
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Keysight Secures New Test Case Validations for Narrowband Non-Terrestrial Networks Standard
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Blackfox Ready for IPC APEX EXPO 2024
03/26/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007Blackfox Training Institute offers IPC-certified training for a myriad of PCB assembly techniques and standard certifications. With many technologists beginning to eye retirement, this training is at a premium. I recently spoke with Jamie Noland, director of training and education for Blackfox, about the company’s latest educational efforts, and his plans for the upcoming IPC APEX EXPO, where Blackfox will be exhibiting.
Keysight, Intel Foundry Partner to Certify Electromagnetic Simulation Software for Intel 18A Process Technology
02/22/2024 | BUSINESS WIREKeysight Technologies, Inc. announces that the RFPro electromagnetic (EM) simulation software, part of the Keysight EDA Advanced Design System (ADS) integrated tool suite, is now certified by Intel Foundry for design engineers targeting Intel 18A process technology.