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 Manufacturing Outputs
 Drill Ident setup
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markpsu

USA
67 Posts

Posted - 12 Feb 2020 :  17:49:47  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi all,

In the Drill Identification Drawing layer, the program automatically assigns a letter to each of the drill sizes to be exported. It seems to do this randomly. My question, should I be changing these letters to match some IPC drill size standard? I've never done this in 8 years of (occasional) board design work. I've always plotted them as whatever letters the program assigns and no issues. However, I'm wondering if it would be "more" correct to follow some sort of letter-to-drill size standard?

Any thoughts?

Iain Wilkie

United Kingdom
1009 Posts

Posted - 13 Feb 2020 :  08:29:15  Show Profile  Visit Iain Wilkie's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Why bother ??

I've NEVER altered this in any way, had thousands of boards fabricated and never a drill mistake or query from any manufacturer.

The file will be a simple cross reference that the manufacturers drilling utility will understand.

Why complicate things ?

Iain
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edrees

United Kingdom
763 Posts

Posted - 13 Feb 2020 :  09:29:59  Show Profile  Visit edrees's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Just looking at my last (very simple) pcb design and the Drill Ident letters are assigned alphabetically.

Perhaps have a look under Plotting & Printing=>Options=> Drill Ident Drawing =>Setup Sizes and Symbols => Start Text ?????.
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markpsu

USA
67 Posts

Posted - 13 Feb 2020 :  19:19:16  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Well, based on these reactions I think I'll try my best to leave this alone although the temptation to hit buttons remains.

I had the idea that someone at the board house may use the letter identification based on some IPC standard and my drill sizes would come in wrong. As you folks stated it's never happened before.
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edrees

United Kingdom
763 Posts

Posted - 14 Feb 2020 :  09:18:42  Show Profile  Visit edrees's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Your Plot Report.txt file assigns the actual drill size to the Dril Ident letters anyway, so your pcb manufacturer should go by that. I therefore doubt that there's a "IPC" standard of assigning Drill sizes, -but I'm not expert in that field.
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toni9999

United Kingdom
39 Posts

Posted - 17 Feb 2020 :  15:43:46  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
We use it as a check that the drill holes match a set list of approved drill sizes. This ensures you don't have some random number such as a 3.412mm hole.

In our case that would appear as a very large cross and therefore be corrected to a 3.4mm or 3.5mm drill depending on the requirement.

T
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