Institute of Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits (IPC)
Scope
This standard is part of the IPC-2510 series of standards. These standards are used to specify a
data file format used to describe printed board and printed board assembly products with details
sufficient for tooling, manufacturing, assembly, inspection and testing requirements. These
formats may be used for transmitting information between a printed board designer and a
manufacturing or assembly facility. The files are also useful when the manufacturing cycle
includes computer-aided processes and numerical control machines.
The GenCAM format requirements are provided in a series of standards focused on printed board
manufacturing, assembly, inspection, and testing. This standard series consists of a generic
standard (IPC-2511) which contains all the general requirements. There are seven sectionals that
are focused on the details necessary to accumulate information in the single GenCAM file, that
addresses the needs of the manufacturing disciplines producing a particular product. The
sectional standards (IPC-2512 through 2518) paraphrase the important detailed requirements and
provide suggested usage and examples for the topic covered by the sectional standard.
The information can be used for both manual and for digital interpretations. The data is defined
in either English or International System of Units (SI)1 units.
IPC 2512A-2000 Referenced Document
IPC 2221 Generic Standard on Printed Board Design (Incorporates Amendment 1: January 2000)