Terms

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Annular Ring: This is the measured distance between the drilled hole and the edge of a pad. When Measuring an outer layer you are counting the hole wall plating. For inner layers it is measured from the edge of the hole to the edge of the pad.

AOI: Automated Optical Inspection, These machines are used in place of a person who visually inspects PCB during construction looking for errors. These errors are most commonly shorts or opens.

ATE: Automated Test Equipment

AXI: Automated X-Ray Inspection

BOM: Bill of Materials, this is a list of the items that are needed to complete the assembly or manufacture of a product.

BST: Boundary Scan Test

CAD: Computer Aided Design

CAM: Computer Aided Manufacture

Component Side: this is an older term that was used to describe the top side of a circuit board. An good example of this term would be a 2 layer (double sided) circuit board where the components were placed through the top of the board and soldered on the bottom side (Solder Side).

Circuits: (aka: traces or tracks) the metal lines that will carry the current to your components.

DFM: Design for manufacture, The importance of this is to design your PCB board so that it is build able by a majority of manufacturers. This is important is you want to get your boards made fast and at a good price.  There is an exception, if you are developing a new technology and are not afraid to spend some time and money.

DRC: Design Rule Checks, All board shops run a series of DRC. These are the stop gaps to prevent data issues from getting out to the manufacturing floor which causes scrap. We all know that scrap cost you and the manufacture money.  Normal DRC will include space checks like: pad2pad, pad2trace, pad2route, trace2trace, trace2rout, drill2metal, drill2trace, drill2rout, etc.

EOLT: End of the line Testing

ENIG: Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold. The most common amount of nickel is between 100-150 micro inches thick. The most common amount of gold for ENIG is 6-8 micro inches thick.

ENPIG: Electroless Nickel Palladium Immersion Gold.

FCT: Functional Circuit Test

FPT: Flying Probe Tester

FUT: Functional Unit Test

Gerber:

ICT: In-Circuit Test

IPC: Institute for Printed Circuits, (www.ipc.org) was originally founded in 1957 using the name Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits. This name being too hard to remember was changed to IPC in 1999.  IPC represents all facets of the industry including design, printed circuit board manufacturing and electronics assembly. It is a member-driven organization which sets all the industry standards for Design, Manufacture, and Assembly of Electronic Circuits.

IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (read I-Triple-E)

ODB++: (www.odb-sa.com) Was first introduced in 1995 as an intelligent single data structure for transferring PCB design date to the PCB manufacturers, and Assembly houses. This data can contain the CAD netlist as well as component and circuit information that make it faster and more accurate to use. Then say the older RS-274x & RS-274d Gerber formats.

OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer

OSP: Organic Solderability Preservative. This is a low cost lead free corrosion inhibitor.

PCB: Printed Circuit Board

PWB: Printed Wire Board