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

[jamesbulini]

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?

 

[MaxHeadRoom78]

Never used Altium, but in KiCad, a drill hole/pad is added in the PCB layout, not in the schematic.
Max.

 

[jamesbulini]

OK.So the Kicad will be easier than Altium right?
One more question,Where are you always get PCB sir?
When this first pcb design done,i want to prototype it.

 

[Edd]

You can do non-plated holes by drawing circles on Mechanical 1 (KiCAD edge cuts) or by creating a pad and setting the hole size to the same size as the pad diameter (i.e. no annular ring).

 

[rjenkinsgb]

I do it by having some components defined in a similar way to a terminal pin, but with the layout symbol having a smaller pad than the hole size I've defined for each, just saved as "mounting holes" of different sizes.

Add them to the schematic but do not connect anything to them, then put them where needed as you do the layout.

ps. The program we use is a rather expensive commercial one, but "Designspark PCB" from RS components is very good and totally free.

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[MaxHeadRoom78]

I have used PCBway and Seeed both good, I have also heard good things about JLCPCB, qty 5 100mm x 100mm boards for $2.00 P/P incl.
Max.

 

[Beau Schwabe]

Can't you just reverse engineer it a little bit? ... Draw a via, and remove (from display) the metal layers and see what layers are being used.

 

[eTech]

Hi

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 with a gerber viewer.

This method works well for me.

eT

 

[kubeek]

found this https://www.eevblog.com/forum/altiu...-hole-in-altium-designer/msg776878/#msg776878

 

[jamesbulini]

eeed both good, I have also heard good things about JLCPCB, qty 5 100mm x 100mm bo

I have used PCBway and Seeed both good, I have also heard good things about JLCPCB, qty 5 100mm x 100mm boards for $2.00 P/P incl.
Max.

OK，Thanks for you share this.
One of my classmates told me that he heard good things about NEXTPCB,
Last month he went to Shenzhen,China.He was so lucky that he got a HuaqiangNorth trip.
And he tell me NEXTPCB from Huaqiangbei, i shouldn't miss out it.
Anyway thanks for your guys at this forum to help you.
Good luck!

 

[Electro_Hero]

① Place a pad on the PCB, set hole size to the value you want and annular ring size less than it.
Or
② Create a PCB library footprint for the hole (also from a pad). You can add a 3d model of the screw, which makes it much nicer for the final board 3D render.