Titled IPC-7352 is the successor to IPC-7351B. While it may look like just a version number bump, it represents a significant shift in philosophy regarding how we design pads for Surface Mount Technology (SMT).
If you’ve been relying on IPC-7351B for your footprint generation, it’s time for an update. The standard has officially taken over, bringing much-needed clarity to surface mount design and land pattern geometries.
The primary driver was the inclusion of through-hole technology. While SMT dominates modern assembly, through-hole components are still used for connectors, large capacitors, and parts requiring mechanical strength. Before IPC-7352, designers had to consult separate documents like IPC-2221 and IPC-2222 for through-hole guidance. This new standard aims to unify land pattern design guidance in a single, comprehensive source. Ipc-7352 Pdf
It effectively "consumes" or updates content previously found in the IPC-7351 through IPC-7359 series, providing a single point of reference for various component families.
For example, a transistor, the zero orientation in IEC 61188-7-1 is defined with its flat side (which often indicates Pin 1) facing the bottom or the Y-axis, depending on the package and standards. The library builder must verify this. Titled IPC-7352 is the successor to IPC-7351B
Ensures that components fit correctly, soldering is reliable, and the manufacturing process is consistent across different assembly houses.
: Align your company’s internal design rules (DFM) with the specific Density Level (A, B, or C) that matches your primary target manufacturing house. The standard has officially taken over, bringing much-needed
The mathematical matrix combines these dimensional variances to output the precise width ( ), length ( ), and overall distance between pads ( ) for the PCB footprint. Component Classifications Covered
All major ECAD software suites have adopted IEC 61188-7 as their default setting or offer it as a user-selectable configuration. Here is a brief look at how they handle the standard: