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84 PCB007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2020 Article by Graham Naisbitt GEN3 SYSTEMS The rapid pace of technology development, miniaturisation, and high-density packaging is presenting new opportunities, but with them come challenges involving traceability and quality control—both of which heavily rely upon control standards. One of the best forums for evolving such documents is IPC, which is headquartered in the U.S. and has historically been heavily in- fluenced by the demands of the U.S. aerospace and defence sector since the removal of "MIL" standards during the Reagan administration back in the '80s. However, a major criticism is the pace by which standards are developed and for which five-year timescales are a prob- lem. This time lag with the actual technolo- gy used in high-volume products is problem- atic. Moreover, the military and high-reliabil- ity industries are late adopters, further delay- ing the start of work on standards for current products. Another, and perhaps more signifi- cant, problem is that the development work has been done by volunteers, albeit on behalf of their employers. With increasing frequency, standardising the standards, such as ISO 9201, imposes certain rules that must be met to ensure "fair play" amongst the supply chain. There will be those familiar with hearing about "false positives/ negatives" and "never trust the salesman," so mitigating these is no easy task. However, there is the chance for each 5-30 Task Group to review industry requirements and set out the work program for the ensuing period. With that in mind, much of what follows is based on comments we learn about from our industry around the world, many of whom are not yet IPC members. Yes, this is a member- ship recruitment drive, unashamedly, as well as a search for volunteers willing to help cre- ate the standards of tomorrow. IPC Task Group 5-32b SIR and ECM: Structured Development Programme Background The current IPC SIR 2.6.3.7 test is target- ed at typical applications, which is where the minimum PCB feature is separated by more than 200 µm and the voltage is within the approximate range of 10–100 V. The test dura- IPC Standards Development: Business Challenges and an Inside View