Motherboards are the core of the consumer computer market, and are produced both in China, and other countries including Japan and Korea. There are some very well defined motherboard standards which are used in determining inspection and testing procedures:
UL 796
The UL 796 Printed-Wiring Motherboard Standard sets the safety requirement for printed wiring motherboards. The various tests included in this international standard include the flammability, electrical connectivity, heat dispersion, and the maximum temperature inspection tests.
IEC 61249-2-41
The IEC 61249-2-41 Standard for the materials used in the manufacturing of motherboards. This standards deals with the determination of flammability ratings of the motherboard materials. Thickness of motherboards specified for this standard is from 0.8 mm up to 3.2 mm. This standard is used by many countries worldwide including the United Kingdom.
IEC 60068-2-2
This International Electrotechnical Commission standard is employed to determine the ability of motherboards operating in high temperature conditions. This standard is extremely useful as it is a common phenomenon that temperature levels surge upwards inside personal computers during extended use.
IEC 61189-5
The International Electrotechnical Commission has specifically formulated IEC 61189 Part 5 to provide motherboard inspection test methods to establish the robustness of motherboards.
IPC-A-600H-2010
The IPC Association Connecting Electronics Industries formulated IPC-A-600H-2010 to provide a basis for the preferred, acceptable, and non-conforming characteristics of motherboards. This international standard includes both externally and internally recognizable properties on motherboards and is conducted through a visual inspection.
JIS C 5012
The JIS C 5012 Japanese Industrial Standard formulated specific test methods to be used on motherboards that will circulated throughout Japan.
ASTM F2617 - 08
The ASTM F2617 - 08 international standard provides test methods for the determination of Chromium, Bromine, Cadmium, Mercury, and Lead in plastic-based motherboard platforms. This standard may work to complement RoHS guidelines which are applied in all EU territories.
These are just some of the current international standards that may be used in the inspection and quality control testing of motherboards in China. Depending on the design and integrated devices, other tests may also be carried out.
