The lack of unified communication interfaces for PCB production and equipment has been a bottleneck for industrial intelligence. In 2015, TPCA Committee decided to refer SECS/GEM, a standard in semiconductor industry, as the basis format for communication. After 6 times expert meetings, it was simplified to PCBECI (Printed Circuit Board Equipment Communication Interfaces), a format for two-way communication between PCB manufacturers and equipment to improve efficiency and to reduce the cost of customized formats.

        In 2016, the Automation Committee was established under Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) to make PCBECI internationalization. After three years standard proposals and technical defenses, it finally passed the global technical ballot in 2018, and this year (2019) September, it has become the official standard in SEMI.

        TPCA will hold a series of courses and international promotion to make the standard widely used in PCB industry.

        Standard introductions and purchases can be found on the SEMI website: https://store-us.semi.org/products/a00300-semi-a3-specification-for-printed-circuit-board-equipment-communication-interfaces-pcbeci