IPC Comments on the 

Effectiveness of Federal Agency Participation in Standardization in Select Technology Sectors

(Docket No. 0909100442-0563-02)

Via Electronic Submission: SOS_RFI@nist.gov

IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries appreciates the opportunity to comment on NIST’s 

request for information on the Effectiveness of Federal Agency Participation in Standardization in Select 

Technology Sectors. 

IPC represents all facets of the electronic interconnection industry, including design, printed board

manufacturing and electronics assembly. Printed boards and electronic assemblies are used in all electronic 

industry market segments including: military, aerospace, communications, computer, automotive, 

industrial, medical and personal electronics. The impact IPC standards have on the electronics industries 

effects the entire supply chain from raw materials to finished goods. IPC is a not-for-profit organization 

made up over 2,700 member companies, 1,700 of which are located in the U.S. IPC has 230 standard 

development committees with over 10,000 active participants. As a member-driven organization and 

leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports 

programs to meet the needs of an estimated $1.7 trillion global electronics industry. 

IPC strongly believes that Federal involvement in private sector standards is extremely important. The 

collaborative standards development activities that include Federal agencies result in better standards. 

Federal agencies, such as NIST, bring scientific methodology and technology that can be transferred into 

the standards in a non-proprietary, non-threating manner. NIST participation improves balance of 

standards development committees and increases the level of openness into the standards development 

process. The contribution from Federal agencies is embedded in many IPC standards. Federal agencies 

bring specific expertise and knowledge that may not reside within certain market segments. Over the past 

twenty years, organizations such as NIST have provided critical knowledge and expertise which has been 

incorporated into design, assembly and data exchange standards. Our comments provide an overview of 

how Federal agencies’, such as NIST’s, involvement in nearly forty different IPC standard development 

committees has helped the electronics industry.

Standards are Essential for Industry

Standards are essential for industry success. Standards help ensure that products, specifically electronics, 

are reliable, improve repeatability and reproducibility within manufacturing operations, provide common 

terminology for communication throughout the supply chain, and lower costs for manufacturers. Standards 

are reflections of best known practices within an industry. By having standards, a common protocol for 

communication is established and better understanding within the supply chain is obtained. By identifying 

product specifications, standards ensure better product performance, longevity, and compliance with 

regulations. Standards specify desirable characteristics of products that typically relate to a product’s 

quality, reliability, and efficiency. The development and manufacture of products is more efficient, reliable, 

and economical because of standards. Standards allow manufacturers to produce products that meet 

stringent quality tests down the line, minimizing costly delays, rework, or scrap. If a product is built 

according to an accredited standard, the product will most likely be of premium quality. Standards allow for 

efficient manufacturing, high quality products, and cost efficient manufacturing resulting in overall industry 

success.
Standards are more effective than regulations for advocating best industry practices. IPC standards are 

created by contributions from multiple sources. Typically, all sources for standard creation have some type 

of subject matter expertize as well as a vested interest in development of the standard. IPC standards 

development committees are made up of volunteers from the electronics community. There is a proactive 

and balanced approach taken within the standards process that does not typically occur within the 

regulatory process. The standards development process is consensus-based allowing for an honest 

discussion on a topic and reaching a general consensus among stakeholders rather than regulatory 

requirements being imposed on stakeholders. The open, consensus-based nature of standards allows for 

the creation of useful, important standards that benefit the electronics industry and are widely adopted. 

Federal Involvement in Private Sector-Led Standards Development is Effective and Necessary

Federal participation in standards for the electronics industry has been proven effective over the past two 

decades. In the development of highly technical standards, government expertise and knowledge has been 

a significant factor in deploying advanced technology to small to medium size manufacturing companies. 

Due to collaboration among government and industry better standards have been developed and accepted 

by the industry. Federal agencies, such as NIST, have participated in IPC standards-setting activities directly 

as subject matter experts and by taking an active role in both identifying a need for standards and leading 

the standards development process in collaboration with the private sector. Several NIST employees have 

provided extremely valuable information and guidance that is essential to the effectiveness of standards in 

the electronics industry. NIST’s involvement in IPC standards has enabled many IPC standards to be more 

sophisticated and robust in what they aim to accomplish. Federal participation in IPC standards has been 

highly effective, beneficial to the industry, and should continue.

NIST has taken a leadership role in the development of standards for high-speed/high-frequency electronics 

that support many defense electronics manufacturers. Several NIST employees have provided excellent test 

method protocols for evaluating loss of dielectric substrates and propagation delay of lines on printed 

boards, which have been incorporated into standards development efforts in these areas. The IPC D-24b 

High Frequency Resonator Test Method Task Group developed the IPC-TM-650, Method 2.5.5.13, Relative 

Permittivity and Loss Tangent Using a Split-Cylinder Resonator, which is a non-destructive test methodology 

for measuring the relative permittivity and loss tangent of unclad dielectric substrates at microwave 

frequencies. The IPC D-24a Propagation Delay Test Methods Task Group created the IPC-TM-650, Method 

2.5.5.11, Propagation Delay of Lines on Printed Boards by Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR), a methodology 

that specifies TDR procedures for measuring and calculating the propagation delay of uniform, controlled 

impedance transmission lines fabricated in printed board technology. Without NIST’s leadership in this task 

group, IPC would not have had the ability to describe in detail the measurement apparatus (split-cylinder 

resonator) utilized within IPC-TM-650, Method 2.5.5.13, nor the expertise needed to convey how to 

properly measure relative permittivity and loss tangent. NIST’s Electromagnetic Properties of Materials 

Project in Boulder, CO was also crucial in providing a source for executable code in the software used for 

making such measurements. NIST involvement in these standards allowed for better, more effective 

standards in the electronics industry.

NIST has also provided leadership for industry guidelines on controlled impedance and RF/microwave 

design for printed boards. The IPC D-21b High Speed/High Frequency Design Task Group’s development of 

the IPC-2252 Design Guide for RF/Microwave Circuit Boards was chaired by a NIST employee. Without 

NIST’s leadership, the ability to collect and validate the equations used in the standard would have taken 

significantly longer, pushing back the release of IPC-2252. NIST contributed heavily to the rewriting of 

numerous sections, as this document was a replacement for the previous IPC-D-316 design guide, creating a 

more effective standard. NIST employees also led the effort to revise IPC-2141 Design Guide for High-Speed 
Controlled Impedance Circuit Boards. NIST’s leadership was crucial in obtaining unbalanced line equations 

for surface and embedded microstrips and symmetric and asymmetric strip lines in transmission lines. NIST 

participation has resulted in better practices in high speed/high frequency electronics which benefit all 

users and suppliers in the electronics market.

NIST participation and leadership during the initial development of the IPC-1752A Materials Declaration 

Management Standard allowed for a better standard to be implemented throughout the entire electronics 

supply chain. During the effort, industry and NIST personnel worked together to develop a standard that 

communicates regulatory reporting for electronic products throughout the supply chain. IPC-1752A focuses 

on materials, or substances, in products. Exchanging information on substances in products allows for easy 

determination of compliance. NIST personnel developed a data model for this standard, and others in the 

same series that allows for a more robust and better designed standard that is widely adopted. NIST also 

provided expertise in developing an XML schema that makes the standard much stronger and has led to the 

TC111 standard being modeled after IPC-1752A. The implementation tool developed by NIST was

distributed without charge to the electronics manufacturing community for their use in meeting the new 

restrictions, which allowed for easy, widespread adoption of the standard.

Federal involvement in IPC standards has enabled the creation of effective, necessary standards that are 

beneficial to the entire electronics industry. NIST’s support of IPC standards has helped in producing better 

designed, robust standards that support U.S. electronics manufacturing. The electronics industry is 

extremely fortunate to have NIST involvement in the standards development process.

Adequate Resources Are Needed For Successful Standards 

Adequate resources are needed for the development and completion of successful standards. The 

availability and commitment of financial resources, personnel, and expertise is essential to the success of 

standards. IPC’s standards development process is entirely voluntary and does not require an IPC 

membership to be part of a standards development committee. Developing an open, consensus-based 

standard typically takes years to complete, requiring long-term commitment from interested, 

knowledgeable stakeholders. Federal participation in IPC standards typically involves devoting individuals’ 

time and technical expertise. The financial resources associated with Federal involvement in IPC standards 

tends to be minimal and varies depending on the specific standard but certainly includes allocation of staff 

time and travel monies. Contributions of valuable expertise, knowledge, and time are the most valuable 

resources for developing and finalizing a successful standard.

Conclusion

Throughout all industry sectors, standards are an essential aspect to successful business practices. 

Standards allow for reliable products, cost efficient manufacturing, and improved supply chain 

communication. Federal participation in industry standards is critical because of the expertise and 

technology that is deployed into the electronics industry through the adoption of standards. The 

cooperative efforts between industry and Federal agencies, such as NIST, allows for the United States to be 

more competitive in the world electronics market place. The cooperation between IPC and NIST has been 

in existence for over twenty years. The IPC looks forward continuing to be the world leader in development 

of standards for the electronics industry. We are hopeful that Federal agencies will continue to support the 

electronics industry through collaborative standards development. We believe the Federal investment into 

standards development activities will improve the competitiveness of the entire U.S. supply chain on a 

global basis.