[ ] Minimum 3 fiducials on each panel
[ ] All SMD pad clearances >= 0.15mm
[ ] No via-in-pad without filled/capped treatment
[ ] All critical components dual-sourced in BOM
[ ] Test points on all power rails and key signals

Manufacturing Partner Qualification

Your manufacturing partner makes or breaks your transition to production. A contract manufacturer (CM) with experience in similar products will identify DFM issues during the quoting process, suggest alternative components when your preferred parts are on allocation, and provide realistic yield estimates based on their historical data. An inexperienced CM will agree to whatever you specify and discover problems during the first production run — at your cost.

During CM evaluation, ask for references from customers with similar product complexity and volumes. Ask specifically about their component sourcing process: do they have preferred distributor agreements? What is their procedure when a specified component is unavailable? How do they handle yield problems — is the rework included in their pricing or billed separately? The answers reveal far more about future collaboration than any facility tour.

First Article Inspection (FAI)

Before releasing a production run, conduct a formal First Article Inspection on 5–10 units from the pilot build. FAI verifies that every component is the correct part, in the correct orientation, with correct solder joints, and that the assembled board meets all mechanical and electrical specifications. FAI is the gate between prototype thinking and production discipline — it forces you to document what “correct” looks like before you commit to thousands of units.

Use an independent quality engineer for FAI, not your design engineer — familiarity with the design causes confirmation bias. The inspector should work from the assembly drawings and BOM, not from memory or by asking the designer what something should look like.

Production Test Station Design

A production functional test station typically consists of a pogo-pin or edge connector fixture that interfaces with the PCB’s test points, a host PC running the test script, and pass/fail indication (light tower or display). The test script programs the firmware, verifies all I/O, measures power consumption in each operating mode, tests radio TX power and sensitivity (for products with wireless), and writes the unique device serial number and certificate to NVS.

Design test stations to be operable by assembly line workers with minimal training — one green button, one red light, no interpretation required. Target under 60 seconds per board. Test coverage should be specified in your test requirements document (TRD) before production begins; 95%+ functional coverage is the industry standard for consumer IoT hardware.