Embedded passive test vehicle update: the development of EP standards continues, and you're invited to pitch in.

SINCE RETIRING FROM Coretec, my life has been busier than ever. I now enjoy the comforts of a slide-out 32-foot Sunnybrook 5th wheel, with a user-friendly workstation in the back and a workstation in the cab of my Duramax pick-up. While my wife is driving I can still be productive. My psychotherapist daughters call this "not letting go." Even as I type these words, I am about 40 miles west of Cheyenne, WY, destined for the Grand Tetons by sunset.

In my professional life, I always believed that things could happen fast. After all, my sons and I built MLBs in less than 24 hours before anyone knew it could actually be done. But recently I've learned that developing test vehicles, the topic of my last column (PCD&M, December 2004), is not a quickturn process. It is collaborative and it takes time. We were able to produce a resistor thermal test vehicle design 10 months ago. But to date we have not been able to have TVs fabricated to verify the analysis; finding avenues to finalize the work is a challenge.

That challenge has turned into a wonderful experience. I am now working with a group of people in a program that is changing the way we develop and implement technology. The program, Emerging Critical Interconnect Technology (E/CIT), is a joint industry/military/academic venture at the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center in Indiana. E/CIT's objectives are to maintain an awareness of emerging interconnect technologies; provide facilities for R&D and small-scale manufacturing; demonstrate manufacturing process capability; facilitate productive interactions with military, industry OEMs, material suppliers, fabricators and academia; and distribute the expertise to the North American fabrication base.

The Embedded Passives Test Bed project was created in multiple phases. This project aims to establish E/CIT personnel in technical working groups and committees and improve the embedded passive manufacturing processes. We also hope to encourage industry and academic cooperative activities within the E/CIT facilities and integrate the embedded passives technology within military applications. The test bed project, about 50% complete, is providing interesting and significant information on how to use embedded passives in the PCB manufacturing environment.

Eight materials suppliers have provided a variety of high-performance resistor and capacitor products in support of the demonstration. Earlier, the National Institute of Scientific Test's AEPT program designed and developed the profect's first test vehicles, TV2-R and TV2-C.

The project has created three new test vehicles. Two high-frequency TVs were designed for frequencies up to 12 GHz, one for resistors and one for capacitors. A third TV, known as the resistor learning test vehicle (RLTV), was created to characterize the resistor manufacturing processes.

Technical staff experts from several military and commercial OEMs and material suppliers supported the team. Lowell Hoover of Polyphase Microwave provided his services. Reviewing design iterations via frequent conference calls over several months have resulted in designs that will be reviewed and evaluated at a TV team meeting at Crane in early October. This will be followed by a broader industry review scheduled during IPC Works.

The embedded passives CAD tool benchmark project has not progressed at the desired rate. To date, one CAD provider has contributed one seat and training to the project for evaluation. Efforts have been made to engage other CAD providers to participate so that a meaningful benchmark can be conducted. There are some recent encouraging signs. Hopefully the CAD situation will be resolved by early 2006.

One other task the project has supported with success is assisting IPC's standards development activity in ongoing work with IPC-2316 "Design Guide for Embedded Passive Device Printed Boards." When the final comments are incorporated, this draft will be submitted to the IPC standards public review process. It is noteworthy that this is not a design standard, but a guideline. The content of the guideline, supplemented with the learnings and output from the Embedded Passives Test Bed program and the collective experience of the participating IPC membership, will enhance the timing and success of the embedded passives design standard development.

It's not quickturn, but I can see light at the end of the tunnel. The initial test vehicle we developed a year ago will receive exposure and review by industry experts, and I have had the pleasure of assisting those at NSWC Crane in the development of other TVs.

I invite you to support the IPC standards process, both in reviewing the IPC-2316 guideline and in helping to develop the future design standard. And you are invited to participate in E/CIT activities. Contact me or one of the following personnel at NSWC Crane: Jason Ferguson; [e-mail] or Roger Smith; [e-mail].

RICHARD SNOGREN is the founder of Bristlecone LLC and a veteran of Coretec, SAS Circuits and Martin Marietta Astronautics. He can be reached at [e-mail].