Turnkey PCBA Quote Package: BOM, Gerber, CPL and Test Requirements

Last updated: September 30, 2026

A quote-ready turnkey PCBA package normally contains one controlled design revision, the PCB fabrication data, exact BOM, CPL or centroid placement data, assembly drawings, variant and DNP rules, sourcing and traceability requirements, process and acceptance requirements, programming data when applicable, a test plan with measurable pass/fail criteria, quantity breaks, delivery destination and required date.

The files must agree with one another. A complete-looking archive can still produce an unreliable quote when the BOM names one variant, the CPL includes another, the assembly drawing shows obsolete designators or the test requirement says only “functional test” without inputs and limits.

Send the BOM and Gerber package for PCBA quotation review, or download the Informic turnkey PCBA quote-package Excel template. The ZIP download contains one editable Excel workbook with an RFQ overview, a BOM template and a test/inspection requirements sheet.

Turnkey PCBA quote package at a glance

1. Freeze one release revision before requesting quotes

Use one archive name that identifies the project, board and revision. Add a short file index or readme listing the authoritative BOM, PCB data, CPL, drawings, variant, test plan and commercial request. Remove superseded exports instead of leaving the recipient to choose between similarly named files.

IPC-2581 is an open digital product model exchange standard for PCB design and assembly manufacturing data. It can carry a more integrated data set than separate legacy files. A supplier may still request its own accepted outputs, and the buyer must still state commercial, sourcing and acceptance requirements that are not design data.

2. Make the BOM purchasable and assembly-ready

A PCBA BOM should map the physical design to exact items that can be sourced and fitted. Each requested part line should state:

• Reference designators: every fitted location covered by that line, without duplicates or missing designators.
• Exact manufacturer and MPN: including package, temperature, qualification, packing or ordering suffixes when those distinctions matter.
• Description and electrical value: enough information to detect an obvious mismatch, but not as a substitute for the exact MPN.
• Footprint/package: matched to the PCB land pattern and the CPL entry.
• Quantity per assembly and build quantity: with any expected attrition or spare requirement stated separately.
• Variant and DNP status: identify the exact build variant rather than mixing fitted and non-fitted options.
• Alternate rule: no alternates, approved-list only, or quote alternates separately for engineering review.
• Sourcing rule: customer-supplied, nominated source, approved channel or supplier-sourced, plus traceability, date-code and packaging requirements.

Autodesk’s official Electronics BOM guidance identifies quantity, value, reference designators, footprint and manufacturer part number as core BOM elements. For a purchasing RFQ, add the commercial and approval fields needed to prevent an alternative from being silently priced as the requested item.

For a component-specific starting point, see How to Prepare a BOM RFQ That Suppliers Can Quote Without Rework.

3. Include the PCB fabrication package, not only assembly files

A turnkey assembler must understand the bare board being priced or coordinated. Include the accepted image/intelligent data format, NC drill, authoritative profile, fabrication drawing or controlled readme, stack-up/material requirements, copper, finish, impedance, test and panelization information.

Use the detailed PCB fabrication quote checklist when the board has controlled materials, HDI structures, impedance, special plating, unusual mechanical features or customer-controlled panels.

4. Treat the CPL as controlled placement data

A CPL, centroid or pick-and-place file normally maps each fitted reference designator to a center position, orientation and board side. KiCad’s official PCB Editor documentation describes component placement files as listing each footprint’s center position and orientation for programming pick-and-place equipment. The export can also vary by design variant and by whether DNP or excluded footprints are included.

State the coordinate units, origin, top/bottom convention and rotation convention. Then reconcile the CPL with the BOM and drawings:

1. Every fitted BOM designator should appear in the placement or approved manual-insertion list.
2. Every CPL designator should have one BOM assignment for the released variant.
3. DNP items should be excluded or clearly flagged according to the assembler’s accepted method.
4. Footprint/package names should be plausible for the requested MPN.
5. Bottom-side coordinates and rotation should use the convention the assembler expects.

Do not “repair” unexplained rotation or origin differences in an email. Record the issue, correct the source or approved output and issue a new controlled revision.

5. Show assembly intent that machine data cannot explain

Assembly drawings should show the populated top and bottom sides, reference designators, polarity, orientation, mechanical notes and parts that require manual insertion or special handling. Add details for:

• Connector, display, switch, LED, sensor or cable orientation.
• Press-fit, screw-mounted, adhesive-backed, heat-sinked or mechanically retained parts.
• Critical component height or enclosure-clearance limits.
• Panel rails, breakaway tabs, tooling holes, fiducials and depanelization restrictions.
• Selective soldering, masking, staking, underfill, conformal coating or potting areas.
• Any no-clean, wash, cleanliness or residue requirement tied to the product plan.

6. Separate variants, DNP rules and alternates

7. Name the process and acceptance basis

IPC J-STD-001J addresses materials, methods and acceptance criteria for soldered electrical and electronic assemblies. Its public scope identifies three product classes and states that the user is responsible for establishing the class; if the user does not document one, the manufacturer may do so. IPC-A-610J addresses post-assembly acceptability and is commonly used with J-STD-001J.

An RFQ should name the exact required standard, revision, class and customer addenda. Also state lead-free or leaded basis, solder alloy when controlled, special thermal limits, cleaning/coating instructions and any approved deviation path. “IPC Class 2” by itself does not define the product’s complete process, inspection and test plan.

8. Turn “test required” into a testable requirement

For each inspection or test, define what is checked, how many units or which features are covered, what input and fixture are used, the measurable pass/fail criteria, the result format and who approves exceptions.

See the separate guides for AOI versus X-ray inspection and functional testing for PCBA. These explain the methods; the RFQ must still define the product-specific limits and deliverables.

9. State sourcing, traceability and commercial rules

• Separate customer-supplied, supplier-sourced and nominated-source materials.
• State whether authorized-channel traceability is required and what documents or labels must be retained.
• Define packaging, moisture sensitivity, dry-pack, ESD and date-code requirements only where the product or quality plan requires them.
• Ask for requested MPN pricing and alternate pricing on separate lines.
• Provide prototype, pilot and production quantity breaks plus allowed overage/shortage.
• Request itemized PCB, components, assembly, stencil/tooling, test fixtures, programming, one-time engineering, packing and freight where comparison requires it.
• State delivery country, required date, Incoterm request, partial-shipment policy and label/document requirements.

For component-lot controls, use the date code, packaging and traceability RFQ guide.

How to compare two turnkey PCBA quotes

Illustrative mismatch example

This is a hypothetical workflow example, not a customer case study. It does not claim a cost saving, quote speed, delivery result or production outcome.

A buyer issues a BOM for the “Main” variant, a CPL exported with optional parts still fitted and an assembly drawing from an earlier revision. The BOM also permits alternates but does not define whether they should replace or sit beside the requested MPN. One supplier excludes the optional parts, another includes them, and the returned prices do not represent the same assembly.

The buyer reissues one controlled archive. The variant and revision are named in the file index, BOM, CPL and drawings. DNP designators are reconciled, alternates are quoted separately, and the test sheet states inputs, limits and required outputs. Suppliers can now expose scope differences instead of silently making different assumptions.

A practical PCBA RFQ release workflow

1. Freeze the release. Export BOM, PCB data, CPL and drawings from the same controlled revision.
2. Reconcile the data. Compare fitted designators, quantities, footprints, variant and DNP status across BOM, CPL and drawings.
3. Complete the requirement sheets. Add sourcing, process, acceptance, programming, test, inspection, packing and delivery fields.
4. Issue one quote basis. Give each supplier the same archive, quantities, destination and required date.
5. Resolve questions in a log. Record each DFM, sourcing, alternate and test exception against the released revision.
6. Approve the production basis. Confirm final files, alternates, PCB construction, assembly process, test plan and purchase-order references before release.

Download the PCBA quote-package template

Download the editable Informic Turnkey PCBA Quote Package Template (.zip). The ZIP contains one .xlsx workbook with three worksheets: RFQ Overview, BOM Template, and Test and Inspection. Replace the illustrative rows with controlled project data before sending it with the released design files.

Direct .xlsx file is also available for systems that recognize Excel downloads correctly.

Send a controlled BOM and Gerber package

Upload the BOM, Gerber/PCB data, CPL and assembly requirements for quotation review. Informic can organize the sourcing and quote-review package, separate open BOM or alternate questions and coordinate the request with manufacturing and test providers. Final engineering approval, applicable standards, secure programming data, test adequacy and production release remain with the buyer and its authorized design and quality reviewers.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum file set for a turnkey PCBA quote?

For a preliminary quote, provide the released PCB data, exact BOM, CPL/centroid file, top/bottom assembly drawings, build quantity and delivery destination. Add variant/DNP rules, sourcing restrictions, process/acceptance requirements, programming and test criteria wherever they apply.

Do I need both a CPL and assembly drawing?

Usually yes. The CPL provides machine-readable placement coordinates, side and rotation. The drawing communicates visual assembly intent, polarity, mechanical restrictions and manually installed or specially handled items that may not be fully explained by placement data.

Should DNP parts stay in the BOM?

They may remain if the variant and DNP field are explicit and the assembler accepts that structure. The important requirement is that the BOM, CPL and drawing all describe the same populated variant without forcing the supplier to infer which parts are fitted.

How should alternate parts appear in a PCBA quote?

Keep the requested MPN as the quote basis and show each proposed alternate on a separate line with manufacturer, exact MPN, reason and any commercial difference. Engineering approval should be recorded before the alternate becomes part of the controlled production BOM.

Is “functional test included” enough?

No. The RFQ should identify the product state, power and loads, interfaces, sequence, measurable limits, fixture and software ownership, coverage, result format and exception-approval process. Otherwise, suppliers may price different test depth under the same label.

Can IPC-2581 replace Gerber, BOM and CPL files?

IPC-2581 can exchange integrated PCB and assembly manufacturing data, including information otherwise split across multiple files. Use it only when the receiving supplier confirms support, and still include the commercial, sourcing, acceptance, programming and delivery requirements needed for the quote.

Official references

• IPC-2581 Consortium: open digital product model exchange for PCB design and assembly manufacturing data.
• Ucamco official Gerber specifications, component-layer examples and PCB fabrication data resources.
• IPC J-STD-001J public table of contents and scope for soldered electrical and electronic assemblies.
• IPC release describing J-STD-001J and IPC-A-610J process and post-assembly acceptance roles.
• KiCad official PCB Editor documentation for component placement/position files and fabrication outputs.
• Autodesk Fusion Electronics official BOM field guidance.

Reviewed by Elena, founder of Shenzhen Informic Electronic Limited and active in the electronic-component supply chain since 2012. This guide supports RFQ preparation and quote comparison. The buyer, design authority, quality team, assembler and relevant test provider remain responsible for design approval, applicable standards, process control, test adequacy and production release.