Monthly Overview: Key Electronics Standards Published in October 2025 (Part 1 of 2)

Looking back at October 2025, the Electronics sector witnessed the publication of five pivotal standards, reflecting the industry’s momentum in kinetic energy harvesting, innovative materials for printed circuit boards, and defect detection through advanced imaging. This retrospective overview synthesizes the essential new requirements, emerging themes, and industry implications across these publications, offering insights for quality managers, compliance officers, engineers, and procurement specialists keen to ensure operational excellence and regulatory alignment.

Organizations striving for technological leadership and market competitiveness will find that understanding these October 2025 standards is crucial—not only for compliance, but also for anticipating shifts in innovation, reliability, and sustainability. By distilling the highlights, key requirements, and practical impact of these standards, this monthly review enables professionals to stay informed and proactive in their standards strategies.

Monthly Overview: October 2025

October 2025 proved to be a dynamic period for the Electronics sector, driven by a surge in standards addressing wearable energy solutions, high-reliability printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication, and enhanced inspection methodologies. Notably, the concurrent publication of standards for kinetic energy harvesting devices (focused on both arm and foot motion) signaled a growing emphasis on energy autonomy for wearables and IoT. Alongside this, new specifications for PTFE-based laminate materials and advanced CT-based defect detection for circuit boards addressed the sector’s ever-increasing need for material performance, safety, and quality assurance.

Compared to previous cycles, October demonstrated a clear shift toward integrating human-centric energy harvesting with innovations supporting robustness in PCB manufacture and inspection. The standards published this month collectively underline the trend toward increased miniaturization, reliability, and functional safety in electronic systems—an inflection point for future-ready electronics design and production.

Standards Published This Month

IEC 63150-2:2025 – Kinetic Energy Harvesting Devices under Practical Vibration – Human Arm Swing Motion

Semiconductor devices – Measurement and evaluation methods of kinetic energy harvesting devices under practical vibration environment – Part 2: Human arm swing motion

This standard established a rigorous test methodology for evaluating the performance of kinetic energy harvesting devices specifically during human arm swing motion. These devices, instrumental for powering wearable electronics such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, leverage a range of transduction technologies including electromagnetic, piezoelectric, electrostatic, and triboelectric mechanisms.

IEC 63150-2:2025 defines terms, device characteristics, and detailed procedures for simulating human arm movement—employing laboratory swing motion exciters, mounting fixtures, and motion sensors. It lays out test conditions covering both upper arm and wrist placements, mimicking real-life walking, jogging, and running motions. The standard ensures that harvested power is evaluated under low-frequency, large-amplitude excitation, reflecting actual arm movement profiles. Test reports are expected to capture both mandatory and optional performance data, enhancing comparability among devices.

Target audiences include manufacturers and R&D departments working in wearable technology, device integrators, test labs, and procurement managers specifying performance for energy harvesting components. This standard’s introduction supports interoperability and reliable benchmarking in a rapidly evolving sector.

Key highlights:

• Defines a reproducible test system simulating real arm swing motions
• Accommodates multiple energy harvesting principles (e.g., electromagnetic, piezoelectric)
• Specifies requirements for test reports, fostering market transparency and product comparability

Access the full standard:View IEC 63150-2:2025 on iTeh Standards

IEC 63150-3:2025 – Kinetic Energy Harvesting Devices – Human Foot Impact Motion

Semiconductor devices – Measurement and evaluation methods of kinetic energy harvesting devices under practical vibration environment – Part 3: Human foot impact motion

Issued alongside Part 2, IEC 63150-3:2025 extended performance measurement methodologies to impact-driven energy harvesters embedded in wearables—particularly those utilizing the energy generated from walking or running. Addressing technologies embedded in smart footwear and similar products, this document unifies terminology, outlines device fixtures for repeated impact testing, and sets benchmarks that are agnostic of the specific energy conversion principle (piezoelectric, electrostatic, triboelectric, or electromagnetic).

The standard provides a comprehensive test bed design for simulating human foot impact, including vibrational exciters, function generators, accelerometers, and data recording infrastructure. Tailored to the kinetic profiles of walking and running, it ensures that device performance is characterized under authentic real-world movement conditions. Details for reporting mandatory and optional parameters enhance the consistency and traceability crucial for competitive benchmarking.

Primary beneficiaries include wearable device manufacturers, energy harvesting technology developers, medical and sports application designers, and lab testing facilities. By harmonizing test methodologies, this standard paves the way for comparative evaluation and product improvement across the global wearables sector.

Key highlights:

• Defines a reference test method for shoe-mounted and similar energy harvesters
• Addresses impact-driven harvesting across multiple transduction mechanisms
• Standardizes reporting to support interoperability in the wearable electronics ecosystem

Access the full standard:View IEC 63150-3:2025 on iTeh Standards

IEC 61189-3-302:2025 – Detection of Plating Defects in Unpopulated Circuit Boards by Computed Tomography (CT)

Test methods for electrical materials, printed boards and other interconnection structures and assemblies – Part 3-302: Detection of plating defects in unpopulated circuit boards by computed tomography (CT)

This standard delivers an advanced non-destructive testing method for identifying plating defects—such as voids, incomplete copper filling, and nodulation—in the metallized holes of unpopulated circuit boards. By leveraging computed tomography (CT) imaging, IEC 61189-3-302:2025 enables accurate, three-dimensional visualization of internal structures, supporting early defect detection and statistical analysis for quality assurance.

The document comprehensively details equipment requirements (X-ray CT scanners, detectors, software tools), test environment controls, and scan parameter settings. It specifies protocols for image reconstruction, visualization, and measurement data recording. Detailed annexes provide image analysis techniques, sample images of typical defects, and guidance for void identification and statistical evaluation. This meticulous approach strengthens root-cause analysis and continuous improvement efforts in PCB manufacturing.

Quality assurance teams, PCB fabricators, OEM engineers, and test labs will benefit particularly from this standard. It is a critical addition as circuit density increases and reliability demands escalate, complementing traditional destructive and electrical test methods.

Key highlights:

• Introduces non-destructive CT scanning for metallized hole defect detection
• Details image reconstruction, analysis, and statistical reporting procedures
• Strengthens compliance with reliability requirements for advanced PCBs

Access the full standard:View IEC 61189-3-302:2025 on iTeh Standards

IEC 61249-2-53:2025 – PTFE Unfilled Laminate Sheets of Defined Flammability, Copper-Clad

Materials for printed boards and other interconnecting structures – Part 2-53: Reinforced base materials clad and unclad – PTFE unfilled laminate sheets of defined flammability (vertical burning test), copper-clad

IEC 61249-2-53:2025 sets forth the material, electrical, and flammability requirements for PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) unfilled reinforced laminate sheet, available in thicknesses from 0.05 mm up to 10.0 mm and featuring copper cladding. The standard establishes quality control measures and physical property requirements—including dimensional tolerances, flexural strength, peel strength, flammability performance (via vertical burning test), water absorption, and thermal properties.

With flame resistance criteria clearly defined (referencing the requirements of clause 8.4), the document ensures the suitability of these materials for high-reliability and safety-critical PCB applications, particularly where flame retardance and dielectric stability are paramount. Typical applications include radio frequency (RF) and microwave boards, space and aerospace systems, and mission-critical industrial electronics.

Material suppliers, PCB manufacturers, procurement specialists, and design engineers are the core audience. The standard provides a foundation for consistent specification, quality conformance, and regulatory acceptance across international markets.

Key highlights:

• Specifies non-electrical and electrical properties for PTFE copper-clad laminate
• Defines mandatory vertical burning test for flame resistance
• Enforces dimensional and performance criteria for high-reliability PCB applications

Access the full standard:View IEC 61249-2-53:2025 on iTeh Standards

Common Themes and Industry Trends

A close analysis of October 2025’s portfolio reveals several key themes:

• Wearable Device Autonomy: Standards IEC 63150-2 and IEC 63150-3 collectively emphasize the criticality of robust, repeatable methods for evaluating energy harvesting from routine human movements. This trend dovetails with the proliferation of wearable health, fitness, and IoT devices demanding power autonomy and reliability, underscoring industry movement toward self-sustaining electronics.

• Material Reliability and Safety: IEC 61249-2-53’s focus on flame-retardant PTFE laminate addresses rising regulatory and market demands for PCBs that perform safely under harsh conditions, including aerospace and industrial domains. As circuit complexity grows, the importance of standardized material performance is magnified.

• Advanced Inspection and Test Techniques: IEC 61189-3-302’s CT-based testing marks a technological leap beyond traditional X-ray or cross-sectional analysis. Non-destructive imaging is becoming a mainstay in ensuring the structural integrity of complex, densely populated boards, supporting the electronics sector’s relentless drive for miniaturization and zero-defect manufacturing.

These publications collectively signal an industry grappling with the imperatives of safety, energy efficiency, and inspection sophistication.

Compliance and Implementation Considerations

For organizations impacted by these new standards, several practical action points emerge:

• Assessment of Laboratory Capabilities: Evaluate and, if needed, upgrade equipment and procedures to meet new test method requirements, especially for energy harvesting evaluation and non-destructive CT analysis.
• Supplier and Component Vetting: Ensure your supply chain understands and complies with updated materials and test requirements—crucial for PCB laminates and electronic sub-assemblies.
• Training and Process Integration: Provide targeted education for design, quality, and testing personnel on new methodologies, particularly CT-based defect detection and kinetic energy harvesting evaluation.
• Compliance Timeline Management: Map current products and processes against the new requirements to establish a roadmap for compliance, especially for new product introductions and critical re-certifications.
• Documentation and Traceability: Align documentation and records with the enhanced reporting standards—especially in performance reporting, statistical analysis, and test method validation.

Early adoption and integration of these standards into product design and QA workflows can yield significant competitive and reliability advantages, especially given growing customer and regulatory scrutiny.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from October 2025

October 2025’s standards activity for the Electronics sector provides vital signals on future priorities—wearable device autonomy, advanced inspection, and flame-retardant materials leading the way. The adoption of standardized methodologies for testing kinetic energy harvesters, combined with robust protocols for high-reliability PCB materials and defect detection, enables organizations to foster safer, more efficient, and resilient products.

For professionals across engineering, quality assurance, compliance, and procurement, prioritizing the review and implementation of these standards is essential to remain future-ready and competitive. It is recommended to:

1. Consult the full text of standards—linked above via iTeh Standards—for technical details and implementation guidance.
2. Conduct gap analyses to integrate new requirements into internal specs and supply chain contracts.
3. Leverage these standards for both compliance and continuous product/process improvement.

Staying current with contemporary standards not only underpins compliance, but also positions organizations at the forefront of technological and quality advancement. Explore these new publications in detail to capture their full business and technical value.