How to draw a drill hole on the PCB board?The problem is weak. Please don't laugh.

Thread Starter

nextofyourpcb

Joined Aug 6, 2019
32
I am a rookie, just started to learn PCB drawing, using Altium Designer 13.
I had a problem: I had to drill a hole in my board, just a physical hole, without electrical properties, not the kind of pad.
At first, because I didn't understand, so.
1. I drew a circle on the schematic Drill Drawing layer to represent the drill hole, but after generating the PCB, I found that the line had passed through the location of the drill hole. I judged that the system did not regard the circle I drew as a drill hole, so it took the line from the position of the circle.
2. I thought it was the wrong layer I chose, so I drew the same circle on the Drill Guide layer. After the PCB is generated, the line is still through the location of the drill hole.

At this point, I do not understand, the schematic only these two layers in the name of the word drill, why I painted circles in both layers, or did not generate boreholes.
Therefore, I would like to ask all the experts:
1. What layer should the drill hole be painted on?
2. Do you only need to draw a circle to drill a hole?
 

JohnInTX

Joined Jun 26, 2012
4,787
You have to keep in mind how the PCB software works.

Drills are not the same as holes. A drill is something associated with the circuit e.g. a drilled hole in a pad. A hole is just a hole, no plating, no connection -like a mounting hole. But a hole is an object, too. You don't draw a hole, you place one from the library.

I use EAGLE but I think Altium makes the same or similar distinctions.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,979
It's been many years since I generated a set of Gerber files, but IIRC you also need a drill file (Excellon??) that defines the drill sizes for each symbol used in the layer that has the drill symbols (I think that's the Drill Guide layer). That might be what you are missing.
 

Thread Starter

nextofyourpcb

Joined Aug 6, 2019
32
You have to keep in mind how the PCB software works.

Drills are not the same as holes. A drill is something associated with the circuit e.g. a drilled hole in a pad. A hole is just a hole, no plating, no connection -like a mounting hole. But a hole is an object, too. You don't draw a hole, you place one from the library.

I use EAGLE but I think Altium makes the same or similar distinctions.
Thanks for your kindy reply
 

eetech00

Joined Jun 8, 2013
3,859
Hello
Use a non-plated thru hole pad. Set the hole size then make the pad diameter the same size or slightly larger than the hole size.

Check gerber with a gerber viewer.

This method works well for me.

eT
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
Hello
Use a non-plated thru hole pad. Set the hole size then make the pad diameter the same size or slightly larger than the hole size.

Check gerber with a gerber viewer.

This method works well for me.

eT
I use the same method. It has an added advantage of providing a point to connect to chassis ground.
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
Hi

That’s a little different. For ground connect, I use a similar method but use a plated thru hole with an appropriate sized pad for the screw head.

eT
Sounds like what I meant. A plated through hole is the same as a non-plated through hole and an appropriately sized pad with a trace and/or via to ground.
 
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