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90 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2026 F E AT U R E I N T E RV I E W BY T R ACY R I G GA N , G LO BA L E L ECT RO N I C S AS S O C I AT I O N I PC-2581 is an open, vendor-neutral data exchange standard developed by the Global Electronics Association to streamline the ex- change of PCB design information across fabrica- tion, assembly, and test. It replaces multiple legacy formats—including industry standards, Gerber, and ODB++—with a single, comprehensive, XML-based dataset that captures all manufacturing details. By enabling a unified digital product model, IPC-2581 has been shown to reduce errors, elimi- nate ambiguity, and improve efficiency across the electronics manufacturing process. It is a key enabler of modern, data-driven, and Industry 4.0 manufacturing workflows. As OEMs, such as Cisco Systems and Amazon, push this forward, the IPC- 2581 Consortium, led by Hemant Shah, chair, is working to educate a reluctant industry to help them help themselves by adopting the IPC-2581 data format. IPC-2581 was created by merging two previous formats: ODB++ and IPC's GENCAM (back in 2004). It has been used to fabricate, assemble, and test boards since Jan 1, 2016. In this interview, Hemant and consortium col- league Terry Hoffman, technical leader in product operations at Cisco Systems, explain how IPC- 2581 is an unavoidable solution for superior data integration and communication as manufacturing moves forward. A Necessary Shift From Gerber to IPC-2581