Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1163814
SEPTEMBER 2019 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 13 choosing the right words so that it's translated correctly into other languages. McConnell: Definitions are important because I can call something a ham sandwich if I de- fine it right; that used to be a Dieter Bergman thing. Everything was a ham sandwich, and "ham sandwich" had a definition. If you don't have the definitions correct with no ambigu - ity, you don't have a common language. This year, the 2-30 Committee is in an ambitious revision. We looked at every definition in the document and decided if it was still used and needed to be defined for the printed board in - dustry. For example, statistical terms were common enough that you don't need to define for the circuit boards. Back in the day, when we were starting to make statistical process improvement, we had to explain what everything meant. That's not needed now, so we're removing a lot of terms. And we've revised a lot of terms to make them more meaningful. If you're defining a term, such as like lead, you can't use the term you're defining in the definition, so it's a challenge. Shaughnessy: Or how "terminal" means "ter- mination" to some people. McConnell: Exactly. For me, that's one of the most important committees IPC has. It's about getting a common definition for us all to talk and share that's also translatable. Sometimes, we'll say things like, "I barely understand that in English, so how does that read if I translate it?" Then, we simplify the language so that it's not super technical. The definition should not give you the necessary criteria; it should give you the definition. It was an ambitious goal. We are into our sec- ond time through the document discussion definitions marked that needed work. We have some more meetings, and then it will be ready for industry review. One of the neat things we did when we were deleting terms was dis- cussed if there was be a reason to keep a term. We said, "Well, the experts could argue it back in if they want." That's why we redlined every- thing rather than removing the definition. Shaughnessy: I spoke with Gary Carter and Mi- chael Ford about the merging of IPC-2581 with CFX. That's going to be something. Are you in- volved with CFX? McConnell: I'm the historian for IPC-2581. For many years, I was the lone committee meeting attendee. When I worked for Lockheed Martin, Dieter Bergman and I believed in IPC-2581, and so did Lockheed Martin. And when the indus- try had that downturn, a lot of people couldn't go to meetings, but we kept moving the stan- dard forward. I was involved in the GenCAM wars and the peace negotiation, so I go way back with this. I'm a data person by heart. A few years ago, IPC said, "We're looking for some area where there can be new leader- ship." Gary Carter had been in my committee, and one of the best things I did was ask him, "Would you like to be my co-chair, then move into my chair position?" Northrop wanted me to reduce the number of committees I had be- cause there were too many. The best thing I did was step down and give it over to the people who knew how to write XML. I knew what I wanted to say, but I wasn't an XML expert, and I'm not a programmer. I'm a PCB designer at heart. I know what needs to be done, and the committee took it and went gangbusters. It is a great standard; I am so proud to see what it can do now and where it is going. Then, CFX was amazing. I go to the commit- tees. Their dial-ins are at a bad time for me, but when I can, I join their meeting and love what's happening. I'm pushing it at my com- pany. This is what we want to adopt. I don't know how far I'll get, but I keep saying that this is what we need. I really like it; I think it is a great thing. In fact, I agreed with what Gary's trying to do in rebranding IPC-2581 from a number. There's a chart on the factory of the future, how everything works, and it forms the digital twin for you. It is the data for the digi- tal twin. Shaughnessy: In a roundabout way, this com- bined IPC-2581 and CFX standard will force the designer and the fabricator to talk to each other.