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Electronics => PCB/EDA/CAD => KiCad => Topic started by: metRo_ on February 24, 2014, 10:30:51 pm

Title: Rectangular pad drill
Post by: metRo_ on February 24, 2014, 10:30:51 pm
Hi,
I'm designing a PCB that will got a RCA connector. How should I design it? http://anacapa.kycon.com/Pub_Eng_Draw/KLPX-0848A-2-x.pdf (http://anacapa.kycon.com/Pub_Eng_Draw/KLPX-0848A-2-x.pdf)
Will I have problems manufacturing it? like at seeedstudio?

Thank you
Title: Re: Rectangular pad drill
Post by: tszaboo on February 24, 2014, 11:16:18 pm
It is OK, they have a four dimensional drill, which is rotating in a way that it leaves a square hole in our reality. How do you imagine it?
Make a round hole bigger than your pin. It is that easy.
Title: Re: Rectangular pad drill
Post by: metRo_ on February 24, 2014, 11:19:12 pm
But how can I make it rectangular on kicad?
Title: Re: Rectangular pad drill
Post by: David_AVD on February 24, 2014, 11:31:40 pm
Do you mean a square hole?  In Altium you can make a slotted hole and set the width and length separately.
Title: Re: Rectangular pad drill
Post by: jolshefsky on February 25, 2014, 12:58:42 am
You'd supply a milling layer to the PCB manufacturer along with the other Gerber files.

In KiCAD's module editor, you can make a silkscreen line for your slot then edit the file in a text editor and change the layer number of the line to your milling layer—you'll need to override the function of one of the layers and fiddle with the Gerber files manually. (See https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Kicad/file_formats#Layer_numbering (https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Kicad/file_formats#Layer_numbering) for layer numbering details ...)

Milling is usually wicked expensive and not worth it for the hobbyist. Better to just make a round hole that's big enough to clear corner-to-corner on the recommended pin. On your example, I'd make both holes around 2.2mm and be done with it.