Recommended Pad Sizes

[Patman83]

I need to make a footprint for SIP male/female headers. I realize that it is the simplest device you would ever have to make a footprint for, but I still had a question.

How big should I make the pads?
The software I am using makes it very easy to create or modify footprints. I could easily make a couple different ones for use in different situations, but I want to make one "general use" to put in my library. I am thinking 1.8mm - 2.0mm. I understand that different situations warrant different footprints - larger for high currents, stronger connections and smaller to allow for routing low current pathways between the pads. But what is a good, all around, in between size?

 

[LTX71CM]

Will you be making the boards yourself or having them professionally made or both? For a DIY board the size of a drill bit you can reliably use will dictate minimum pad size and pad to pad clearance will set your maximum value.

 

[Patman83]

I am going to have them professionally made. I know that there are minimum dimensions that board houses can work with. I would, of course, make sure my footprints meet those requirements. Now that I've had some time to think about things, I think my original question didn't need to be asked. Thanks, though...

 

[Boncuk]

Hi Patman83,

I suggest solution 1 (pad diameter 1.6mm) Eagle uses a standard setting of 1.6002mm and a drill size of 0.8128mm (reduced to about 0.8mm after copper plating the through holes).

Connectors should fit through the drill hole and space between pads allows for a 0.4046mm trace to be "thrown" between them.

You will have problems with a pad diameter of 1.8mm getting traces between pads (if necessary). (For pad to trace minimum clearance the allowable trace width will be reduced to 0.1322mm.)

Boncuk