Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1202019
18 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2020 Soon, we will be heading to sunny San Diego and IPC APEX EXPO again to meet old friends, make new connections, indulge in interesting discussions, and, of course, talk for hours and hours about the importance and development of IPC standards, especially those related to automotive. IPC-6012DA-WAM1, Automotive Applica- tions Addendum to IPC-6012D, was the first document in IPC's Automotive Initiative. Fur- ther standards are in the pipeline and, more or less, challenge each other to be the next in line, such as the joint document IPC-A-610/ IPC J-STD-001 Automotive Addendum that will cover both requirements and acceptability of electronic assemblies. Then, we have IPC- 9797, which is a brand-new cold joining press- fit standard for harsh environments. Finally, Automotive Standard Elevates the Excellence of Electronics and also running the race to reach a release within IPC APEX EXPO 2020, we have IPC- 1782A—the traceability standard, that, if you ask me, links all other standards seamlessly together. IPC-6012DA (currently in WAM1) was the first automotive standard for printed boards; it also needs to expand to cover all types of rigid printed boards. To meet the PCB needs in the automotive industry of today and to- morrow, we have started to collect informa- tion and identify the types of printed boards not covered by the existing standard. One find- ing in the research is printed boards used for LED headlights and taillights, which have two requirements not covered; these are described as metal-core printed boards and high-power printed boards. The PCB Norsemen Feature Column by Jan Pedersen, ELMATICA