Connections and Pads

[ibwev]

This is my first PCB design. I have a few questions.

1) Is the connection in the "PCBconnect" file outlined in blue on the attachment done properly? I am trying to connect the capacitor to the power plane and the pic to the capacitor.

2) Is the connection in the "Resistor connection" file outlined in blue on the attachment done properly? Would the connection be better if surrounded by a power plane as in the "ThermalPlane" file?

3) Are wider pads generally better than narrower pads?

 

[edeca]

Wider pads will generally make soldering easier. The pad in your second thumbnail looks too small to my eye, there is a risk of damaging the pad whilst soldering if it is too small.

The pour in your first image is odd, there is no particular reason to leave a big pour under the resistor pad. I do not understand there is a gap in your power polygon in the third picture. It would be better to have a solid pour and then extend a trace from the edge of it to your pin. Or just expand the whole pour down to your IC.

I recommend you either use traces (and decent sized pads) throughout or run a big polygon pour to create a power plane.

 

[Gayan Soyza]

Keep these values in your mind.

For hobby use home made PCBs I use pad size of 2mm (Outer diameter) & a drill hole of 0.8mm.

Most PCB software default comes with the pad size of 1.8mm which is quite small for toner transfer stuff, drilling & soldering.That size is good for mass manufacturing like a silk screen job.

 

[ibwev]

Thank you for the information and recommendation.

The third picture has 3 power polygons. One is for the 24 volt supply to a fuse, another supplies current to the voltage regulator and power switch from the fuse, and the final one supplies the 5 volt current to all the components. The tutorial for the design software for the PCB suggested using power planes rather than “daisy chaining”. Are the shapes of the power planes functional or is it better to run a supply trace and feed the components from that trace?

View attachment 65637

If I expand the pour down to the IC, will the IC still receive the benefits of the capacitor?

 

[alisadu]

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