Victor, Having a go at this interesting question, let me start with inspectors are trained, or should be, to follow certain procedures including using IPC 610 and all therein. To do what you want may require certain other procedures, if you really think you need to do this. However, for trace and land widths or diameters and annylar ring requirements, met in accordance with IPC 600, I rely on two things. One is a highly qualified fabrication capability providing me reports on the parameters you state and many other factors in accordance with my Master Drawing Notes. From this type capablity a report is forthcoming including x-section photomicrographs as well as measurements concerning your concerns. Also, I require, again in accordance with my Master Drawing Notes, quality conformance test circuits made up of various individual coupons, as indicated in IPC2221, for making such determinations. The individual coupons represent the most complex features of the board design as hole diameters, pad sizes, trace widths and spacing, as well as other features needed to determine such quality requirements on the Master Drawing. Really, you as the reliabilty person, can do anything you want to establish concurrent communications with your board shop. You can use magnification, optical comparators, x-sectioning, etc. but the best thing is to ensure you have highly qualified board houses selected using a very well planned evaluation using serious evaluation tools while starting with you master drawign requirements and working from there as prevention is the key to not having to do the inspections you discuss. I hope this helps a bit more or, at least, invites more discussion, Earl --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------