PCB Design noob

[Kingdom Man]

Hey Guys, new to this forum and have some questions...
What is a good Program for PCB design?
How can I draw a ovalized Through hole for mounting a certain component?
I want the through hole to be narrow, like .020" or something close to that.
and about .065 long? Hope this is enough description, thanks for any help!

 

[Rolf]

Hey Guys, new to this forum and have some questions...
What is a good Program for PCB design?
How can I draw a ovalized Through hole for mounting a certain component?
I want the through hole to be narrow, like .020" or something close to that.
and about .065 long? Hope this is enough description, thanks for any help!

I like Express PCB. It does not have oval pads but you can change pad and hole size on any component and save it for future use. If you want them rectangular that is possible also. The program is free.

 

[Gayan Soyza]

I like Eagle . It does have oval pads but you can change pad and hole size on any component and save it for future use. If you want them rectangular that is possible also. The program is free

 

[Kingdom Man]

I like Eagle . It does have oval pads but you can change pad and hole size on any component and save it for future use. If you want them rectangular that is possible also. The program is free

Thanks for the replys Guys! I have used PCB express, and I have looked at eagle a little bit, It seems as though eagle is quite popular. I know eagle has oval pads, but the through hole is round. I am looking how to make the through hole oval like the pad shape, is this possible?

 

[Kingdom Man]

I like Express PCB. It does not have oval pads but you can change pad and hole size on any component and save it for future use. If you want them rectangular that is possible also. The program is free.

Does PCB express boards come with the green color on them, like any normal board. I got some proto boards from them, it was my first time ever designing a board and they were the light brown could or beige or something??

 

[unclejed613]

through holes are round, because drills are round, the through hole doesn't need to fit the shape of the component lead, but the through hole must be large enough for the largest dimension of the component lead.

 

[DirtyLude]

I think you need to look beyond just the design aspect. Do you have a board house that will do this oval hole for you? It sounds like you want it plated through as well. Custom inner cuts like this are pretty expensive and require that you work closely with your PCB house. You could possibly create this with multiple drill hits, but again, you would have to see what your PCB house will allow.

It sounds like you are trying to mount a tab or something. Like UncleJed says, any flat through hole component of this size should be able to be mounted and soldered into a round hole without issue.

 

[triumphv8]

The PCB supplier can produce a 0.65" x 0.20" slot by chain drilling using a standard drill machine. Usually it's enough to mark either the centre of the slot or the two ends with the appropriate hole size - but make sure there is a description on the outline drawing. Also indicate if it is plated or non-plated.

 

[Kingdom Man]

Thanks guys for all your help, I very much appreciate it! You have all been helpful.

 

[Mr RB]

You make the oval through hole as routed path, usually by making "line" or "wire" on the holes layer, routing bit size specified as "drill" diameter. Check with your PCB house about what size they prefer for routing, it might be cheaper with their larger router bit (3mm?) so they can do it as part of the panelising.

 

[colin mac]

There's a milling layer in Eagle for them. Or draw a trace in the outline layer. .065" long shouldn't be a problem but 0.020" wide might be. It depends on the manufacturer. Check their website or ask them them what is the minimum size slot they do. Let them know if it's plated or non-plated slot.