Today’s military systems incorporate more features, greater connectivity, and higher I/O counts than ever before. Military-grade PCBs must be able to withstand extreme environmental conditions such as high temperatures, humidity, and vibrations, while still performing reliably and consistently. Failure is not an option in critical military applications, which is why military-grade PCBs must meet strict quality and reliability standards.
NWES is a PCB design and layout services company that specializes in some of the most cutting edge areas of electronics development, including rugged systems design for defense electronics. We work with primes and subcontractors on a diverse range of systems, and our ITAR-compliant manufacturing partners can also help you take your design from idea to full-scale manufacturing. We look forward to working with you!
The modern battlefield is heavily digitized and incorporates more connected electronic systems than ever before. We specialize in advanced electronic systems for deployment in electronic environments. Our products are used in guidance, military aircraft, commercial aircraft, power systems, and military IoT. We also work with fab vendor engineering to verify designs are compliant with IPC Class 3/6012 ES and Mil-Spec.
Military-grade PCBs supporting defense electronics must balance capability, manufacturability, and reliability no matter which domain they will occupy. Military circuit boards must be designed with reliability and standards conformance at top-of-mind to ensure products operate successfully, meet compliance requirements, and will be reliable in their envisioned operating environment.
As we help modernize and digitize systems deployed on the battlefield and intended for use in harsh environments, we keep an eye towards standards conformance and regulatory compliance. As part of compliance, we also we work with our network of manufacturing partners to develop a sourcing strategy that is sustainable. Our process gives a fully manufacturable design that can be produced anywhere. Many of the systems we design and produce are intended to be compliant with the following standards:
Standard | Description |
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MIL-PRF-31032, MIL-PRF-55110, MIL-PRF-50884 | • A set of military specifications for PCBs specifying the design, materials, manufacturing processes, and performance requirements for generic (MIL-PRF-31032), rigid (MIL-PRF-55110), and flex (MIL-PRF-50884) PCBs used in critical applications, including in defense and aerospace electronics. |
IPC-6012, IPC-6013 | • This pair of specifications covers the performance requirements and acceptance criteria for rigid PCBs (IPC-6012) and flexible PCBs (IPC-6013). Class 3/3A design, production, and performance requirements are covered in these standards. |
IPC J-STD-001E | • A widely recognized standard for the assembly and acceptance of electronic components, defining the requirements for the manufacturing of high-reliability electronic assemblies, including those used in aerospace, defense, medical, and other mission-critical applications. |
SOSA (Sensor Open Systems Architecture) | • A set of electronics design standards aimed at promoting open systems architecture for military and aerospace applications, improving the interoperability, affordability, and flexibility of sensor systems used in defense and aerospace applications. |
VITA 46 (VPX) | • A standard for ruggedized modular open systems architecture (MOSA) used in defense and aerospace applications, providing a framework for interoperability between different modules and components, including commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) to high-reliability military and aerospace systems. |
VITA 65 (Open VPX) | • A standard for backplanes and modules usedin high-performance embedded computing (HPEC) systems for defense and aerospace, providing a modular, scalable, and flexible architecture that spans custom and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) high-reliability hardware. |
DO-160, DO-220 | • This pair of testing standards and EMC standards applies to avionics, including coverage of humidity, shock, vibration, and ESD. DO-220 specifically addresses EMI susceptibility to ensure electronics can operate reliably in the presence of electromagnetic fields generated by other equipment or external sources. |