Q: What are the panelization and fiducial mark requirements for PCB manufacturing?
Answer
Panelization: Use V-groove scoring for boards <1.6 mm thickness routed tabs for thicker boards or when components overhang the edge. Maintain 3-5 mm rail on each side. Add mouse bite tabs (2-3 mm wide 0.5 mm drill) if routing. Fiducial marks: Place three global fiducials at board corners (minimum 5 mm from edge 3 mm clear area). Add local fiducials for each BGA >0.5 mm pitch: two crosses per BGA area on opposite corners. Fiducial size: 1 mm outer pad 0.5 mm inner clear. Provide a panel drawing in your fab package. Panel utilization: typically 2-up or 4-up depending on board size. Include depanelization notes and test coupon per panel. For IPC Class 3 fiducial requirements are stricter.
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