Term | Meaning (plain and quick) | See also → |
A-610 (IPC-A-610) | Visual acceptability standard for electronic assemblies (your day-to-day “is this OK?” book). | J-STD-001, 7711/7721, Class |
ACL (Airflow/Current Limit) | In burn-in, guard bands for fan speed or current so trends don’t drift into failure. | Burn-in, Guard band |
AQL | “Acceptable Quality Level.” Sampling intensity for incoming or in-process inspection. | Sampling plan, SQE |
AOI | Automated Optical Inspection of solder/placement using cameras and rules/ML. | SPI, AXI |
AXI | Automated X-ray Inspection (2D/3D/laminography) for hidden joints (BGA/QFN). | AOI, BGA |
AVL | Approved Vendor List for parts/materials you’re allowed to buy. | SCAR, PPAP, Procurement |
BGA | Ball Grid Array package with hidden solder balls under the part. | AXI, Head-in-pillow |
BIB (Burn-in Board) | Fixture that lets multiple units run in a chamber during burn-in. | Burn-in, Rack |
BOM | Bill of Materials—what goes into the product (PN, qty, AVL). | MBOM, Kitting |
Boundary Scan (BSCAN/JTAG) | Test method using scan chains to toggle/observe pins and program devices. | ICT, DFT |
Bow/warp | PCB flatness errors that cause placement/reflow and fit issues. | Panelization, Standoffs |
CAPA | Corrective/Preventive Action—formal fix to stop recurrence. | SCAR, ECN, Root cause |
CoC / CoA | Certificate of Conformance / Analysis from supplier proving spec compliance. | Incoming, SQE |
Class (1/2/3) | IPC workmanship class; most EMS ships Class 2; Class 3 is high-reliability. | A-610, J-STD-001 |
CMC / Cpk / Cp | Capability metrics; how tight and centered a process runs vs spec. | SPC, Ppk, Window |
Conformal coat (CC-830) | Protective coating over assemblies; keep out of connectors/keepouts. | Masking, Potting |
CPA / TPA | Connector Position Assurance / Terminal Position Assurance—plastic locks that ensure full mate. | Mating sequence, Tug test |
CTE | Coefficient of Thermal Expansion—mismatch drives solder/mechanical stress. | Warpage, Reliability |
CTQ | Critical-to-Quality requirement you must control/measure. | Control plan, FMEA |
DFM / DFA / DFT / DFx | Design for Manufacturability/Assembly/Test—rules that raise yield and coverage. | 3.1, Golden pack |
DPMO / PPM | Defects per Million Opportunities / Parts Per Million—defect metrics. | Yield, COPQ |
DOE | Design of Experiments—structured tests to find best process window. | Window finding, SPC |
ECN / ECO | Engineering Change Notice/Order—controlled design or doc changes. | Revision, Golden unit |
EMC / EMI | Electromagnetic Compatibility / Interference—keep noise in/out via grounding/shields. | Shield clamp, Bond <0.1 Ω |
ENIG / OSP / ImmAg / ImmSn / HASL | PCB finishes; affect solderability and shelf life. | Finish, J-STD-003 |
EOL / EOO | End-of-Life / End-of-Order—lifecycle or last-time buy status. | AVL, Procurement |
E-stop | Emergency stop button on equipment/fixtures; must be reachable. | Hipot cage, Interlock |
ERP | Enterprise Resource Planning—materials, POs, inventory; pairs with MES. | MES, Kitting |
ESD (S20.20) | Electrostatic Discharge control program—zones, straps, floors, audits. | Shielding bag, Pink bag |
F/G Terminals (Ring/Fork) | Lugged terminations to studs; often earth (PE) points. | Torque, <0.1 Ω |
FA / FAI | First Article (Inspection)—first units built with deep checks; forms the reference. | Golden unit, 27.3 |
FCT | Functional Test—power, signals, performance checks. | ICT, Burn-in |
Fiducial | Registration marks for machines (pick-and-place, AOI, stencil). | Global/local fiducials |
FIFO | First-In, First-Out—inventory handling to control age/shelf life. | MSL, Shelf life |
FIPG | Formed-in-Place Gasket (dispensed bead) for seals. | Gasket, Compression % |
FPY | First Pass Yield—percent passing a step the first time. | Pareto, Rework |
FR-4 / Tg | PCB laminate and its glass transition temperature; impacts warpage. | Stackup, Reflow profile |
Gage R&R | Measures measurement system variation (Repeatability & Reproducibility). | MSA, SPC |
Golden board/unit | Known-good reference sample used for teaching and debug. | FAI pack, Libraries |
GS1 / QR / DataMatrix | Barcode standards; 2D codes for SN/MAC/etc. | Label map, Verifier grade |
Head-in-pillow | BGA defect: ball and paste don’t fuse; looks “kissed” in X-ray. | Voids, Profile |
Hermes / SMEMA | Line-handshake standards for board transfer/connectivity. | Buffers, Line control |
Hipot / IR | Dielectric withstand high-voltage test / Insulation resistance. | Safety test, Leakage |
Hot lot | Priority lot that jumps the queue (customer or containment driven). | Containment, Quarantine |
ICT | In-Circuit Test via bed-of-nails; measures nets/components quickly. | Boundary Scan, Fixture |
IMDS / RoHS / REACH | Material declarations/regulatory constraints. | Regulatory labels, Compliance |
IPC-2581 / ODB++ / Gerber | PCB manufacturing data formats. | Centroid, CAM |
IP (Ingress Protection) | Dust/water rating (e.g., IP65, IP67); requires sealing proof. | Gasket, Compression % |
J-STD-001/002/003/033/020 | Solder process; component/PCB solderability; moisture handling and reflow classification. | A-610, MSL |
Kanban | Pull-based replenishment signal (cards/bins). | Supermarket, WIP |
Kitting | Pulling the right parts per work order/variant; accuracy drives yield. | AVL, Shortage |
Land pattern (IPC-7351) | Footprint geometry for parts on the PCB. | Aperture, Courtyard |
Lean / 5S / Visual Mgmt | Organize to see problems: Sort, Set, Shine, Standardize, Sustain. | Andon, Shadow board |
Lot | Group of items produced together under common conditions. | Traceability, IPC-1782 |
MBOM / EBOM | Manufacturing BOM (what you build with) / Engineering BOM (what is designed). | BOM, PLM |
MBB / HIC | Moisture Barrier Bag / Humidity Indicator Card for MSL parts. | MSL, Dry cabinet |
MES | Manufacturing Execution System—routes, WIP states, work records tied to SN. | ERP, Traceability |
MOQ | Minimum Order Quantity from a supplier. | Procurement, AVL |
MOV / Y-cap | Surge protector / EMI capacitor to earth; affect Hipot/leakage. | Safety test, Trip |
MSA | Measurement System Analysis—ensures your gauges are trustworthy. | Gage R&R, SPC |
MSL | Moisture Sensitivity Level for ICs; drives floor-life and baking. | J-STD-033, Bake |
NCR | Non-Conformance Report ticket; records defect outside spec. | MRB, Disposition |
NIST traceable | Calibration linked to national standards. | Calibration, Certificate |
NPI | New Product Introduction—prototype to pilot to volume transition. | FAI, Golden |
NPTH / PTH | Non-Plated / Plated Through Holes. | Via-in-pad, Drill |
Nylock / Prevailing-torque | Nuts with built-in friction to resist loosening. | Threadlocker, Torque |
OEE | Overall Equipment Effectiveness: Availability × Performance × Quality. | SMED, Bottleneck |
ODB++ | Rich PCB data format; alternative to Gerber. | IPC-2581 |
OLP / OPL | One-Point Lesson (single-page standard/learning with photo). | Knowledge base, CAPA |
Open time (paste) | Time solder paste remains printable after exposure. | Stencil, SPI |
OSP | Organic Solderability Preservative finish on PCBs. | ENIG, HASL |
OTP / eFuses | One-Time-Programmable bits; enable secure boot/locks. | Provisioning, 25.3 |
Pareto | Bar chart ranking defect types by frequency or cost. | 27.1, Root cause |
PE (Protective Earth) | Safety ground; must bond to accessible metal <0.1 Ω. | Hipot, Earth bond |
Pigtail (shield) | Short drain wire from shield; keep ≤10 mm when 360° clamp isn’t possible. | Shield clamp, EMC |
PLM | Product Lifecycle Management—source of drawings/CAD/specs. | ECN, MBOM/EBOM |
PnP (Pick-and-Place) | SMT placement machine. | Feeders, Fiducials |
Poka-yoke | Mistake-proofing (keys, guides, software interlocks). | CPA/TPA, Fixtures |
PPAP | Production Part Approval Process—supplier qualification package. | FAIR, SCAR |
Ppk / Pp | Long-term capability indices (include shifts); cousins of Cpk/Cp. | SPC, Run chart |
PPM | Parts Per Million (defects); see DPMO when counting opportunities. | Yield |
Press-fit | Pin insertion into plated holes without solder; force-displacement monitored. | 7711/7721, Acceptance |
PSA | Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive for labels/gaskets. | Label map, Dwell |
PTH | Plated Through Hole—barrel has copper; used for THT and vias. | THT, Via |
Quarantine (NG-QUAR) | Physical/data state to isolate failed units/lots. | Containment, MRB |
QBR | Quarterly Business Review with supplier or design. | Scorecard, SCAR |
QFN / QFP / SOT / LGA | Common SMT packages with different lead styles. | Land pattern, Reflow |
R&R (Rework & Repair) | Fixing defects to bring within spec (7711/7721 methods). | Rework ticket, Traveler |
RMA | Return Material Authorization—customer return process. | COPQ, Traceability |
ROSE / SIR | Ionic cleanliness tests (residue level / insulation resistance over time). | Cleaning, J-STD-001 |
RoHS / WEEE | EU environmental directives: hazardous substances / end-of-life recycling. | Regulatory labels, IMDS |
Root cause | The changeable reason a failure happened (Design/Supplier/Process). | 27.2, CAPA |
SCAR | Supplier Corrective Action Request—formal ticket to supplier with proof and containment. | SQE, PPAP |
Shielding bag (metal-in) | ESD bag that forms a Faraday cage—not the pink bag. | ESD, Pink bag |
Shortage | Missing parts vs kit; drives substitutions or holds. | Kitting, AVL |
Shrink (label) | Heat applied to seat labels/gaskets per spec. | Dwell, Roller |
SIR | Surface Insulation Resistance test (post-cleanliness reliability). | ROSE, CC-830 |
SKU / Variant | Specific sellable configuration; drives labels, tests, firmware. | MES, Recipe |
SMED | Single-Minute Exchange of Die—methods to slash changeover time. | 5S, OEE |
SMT / THT | Surface-Mount / Through-Hole Technology assembly processes. | Reflow, Wave, Selective |
Solderability (J-STD-002/003) | Ability of plating (parts/PCBs) to wet with solder. | Finish, Flux |
SPI | Solder Paste Inspection—3D volume/area/height before placement. | AOI, Print window |
SPC | Statistical Process Control—charts/limits to detect drift (Cp/Cpk, Ppk). | Window, Run chart |
SQE | Supplier Quality Engineer—owns SCARs, audits, incoming plans. | Supplier, PPAP |
Stencil (step/nano) | Metal foil that prints paste; step areas tune volume. | Aperture, Aspect ratio |
Supermarket (line-side) | Small, controlled inventory near the cell to avoid starvation. | Kanban, Kitting |
SWI | Standard Work Instruction (photos + callouts) at the station. | OPL, Golden pack |
Takt | Beat of production (available time / demand). | Line balance, Bottleneck |
TAL | Time Above Liquidus—portion of reflow profile when solder is liquid. | Profile, Voids |
Tape & reel / Tray / Stick | Component packaging styles for SMT. | Leader, Feeder |
TAR (Test Accuracy Ratio) | Reference accuracy vs DUT tolerance (target ≥4:1). | Calibration, MSA |
TC / ΔT | Thermocouple / temperature rise over ambient. | Profile, Burn-in |
TE / PE / QE / ME | Test / Process / Quality / Manufacturing Engineer roles. | Roles & handoffs |
Thermal pad (TIM) | Interface material (pad/grease/PCM) between hot part and sink. | Compression %, Cross-torque |
Threadlocker | Anaerobic resin to lock screws (blue/purple/red grades). | Torque, Prevailing-torque |
TIM | Thermal Interface Material—pads, paste, phase-change. | Heat sink, Compression |
Tombstone | 2-pin chip stands up during reflow (one end lifts). | Aperture, Placement |
Torque map | Posted table of torque setpoints (and condition: dry/oiled/243). | Residual torque, Verification |
Traceability (IPC-1782 ) | Lot → unit genealogy depth; labels/DB links in MES. | Serialization, 2D code |
Traveler | Packet/record that moves with the unit through operations. | MES, Route |
UUT / DUT | Unit/Device Under Test—what the fixture is exercising. | FCT, ICT |
Vac decay / Pressure decay | Leak test methods for IP enclosures. | IP rating, Seal |
Via-in-pad | Plated via placed in a pad; good routing, tricky assembly. | Fill/Cap, Planarity |
V-score / Tab-route | Panel breakaway methods (scored lines / tabs with mouse bites). | Panelization, Depanel |
Void (BGA/thermal) | Gas pockets in solder; limited by % area rules. | AXI, Profile, N₂ |
Wave / Selective solder | Bulk THT solder processes (whole board / targeted nozzles). | Fluxing, Preheat, Bridging |
WHMA-A-620 | Acceptability standard for cable/wire harnesses. | Crimp height, Pull force |
Window (process) | Range of settings where the process is stable (print/place/reflow). | DOE, SPC |
Witness mark | Paint line across screw head and base to show if it moved. | Torque, Audit |
WIP | Work In Process—units not yet complete; track by operation/state. | MES, Supermarket |
X-out | Defective board in a panel marked to prevent use. | Panelization, Routing |
XRF | X-ray fluorescence; measures plating thickness/materials. | Solderability, RoHS |
ZIF | Zero-Insertion-Force FFC/FPC or socket with a latch. | FFC/FPC, Tug test |
