In response to this recent post: We have considered implementing a jumper technique which does not actually use a jumper, but instead uses two pads, placed very close togather. Then solder paste is applied across the two pads, which will bridge when the board is reflowed. This could save substantial dollars in traditional component costs. We have seen this technique used by some manufacturers, but there is some question as to what the people at IPC think about it. Is this an acceptable technique? Is there a set of guidelines which we could follow in order to make this work properly? We appreciate any response. don Don, There have a number of our customers use that technique on their assemblies..... from using them to enable and disable oscillators before and after ICT, to configuring the circuit on a video graphics board depending on the VRAM loaded....... Being with a Contract Assembly company, I can't provide any reliabilty info or anything of that sort, but it does work great on the assembly part of things. The customers that do use this have been doing it for as long as we have been building their products, which is over 2 years. I'm sure if there was a problem on the functional side of things, they would have changed it. You are right about saving money! It eliminates headers, shunts, the need for humans to stuff the items as well as all the associated defects.... The only thing that I can think of where there's been ANY problem, is if you need to have the jumper in place first, and then clear it later, one must be very diligent to be absolutely sure that the two pads are indeed clear when you perform that step....on the lay-outs that we have, the pads are pretty close together (but they have to be so they'll bridge) and it's fairly easy to leave a very fine solder bridge that can't be seen..... , # % ,:*#*~;`~ ` ?^'" ;###~#~#,,#`^} # Steve Gregory ##=~`~`##=}`',}`' # Pragmatech Incorporated #| >~!'", ` ~ 101 Nicholson Lane ~Y_________ #|(o) ( @ ,`} * San Jose, California 95134 / =====-__|~===| U }========= (408) 943-1151 FAX 943-1461 / |L)~~~ \ ___ "} ,* ,~` ," } [log in to unmask] | | \____/ |__| "...9 out of 10 Doctors agree, Colt takes care of headaches FAST!"