Any advice for someone building a PCIe x16 card?

Manufacturing
1

Hi,

I am designing a simple PCIe x16 add in card. I have looked around for things like how to specify the board cut-out and the “golden fingers” footprint, but to no avail.

I would be most grateful if someone could point me in any useful directions.

Thanks in advance
Tim

2

In what stage do have problems here. (Finding measurements, drawing it in kicad, …)

There is a pad type “connector”. And the footprint attribute “virtual”.

Again at what stage to you have trouble?

3

Hi,

Board cut-out:
Is it as straightforward as drawing on the cutout layer according to the PCIe board specifications? I have found the dimensions, but not quite sure how to interpret one of the aspects, which I think is a .05mm long 45deg chamfer with TYP marked - does this mean “typical” and so the extent of this chamfer in terms of length or angle can be approximate?

Footprint of the fingers
Connector+virtual ? - thanks. I expect I would need to specify the gold plating or does “connector” imply that? How do I specify thickness of the gold plating?

I am trying to resolve questions before I launch into the PCB design, but I believe I am done with the schematics.

Thanks
Tim

4

Sounds correct. How to communicate this with the fab? Ask them.

Gold plating needs to be specified and for those edge connectors should be hard plated, not just ENIG (you’ll get away with ENIG for prototypes though).
How to communicate this with the fab? Ask them.

KiCAD has a couple of layers you can use to mark out this stuff… Dwgs.User/Cmts.User/Eco1.User/Eco2.User.
You just plot them like the others and name them according to what the fab told you they want the info to appear in/on.

5

Thanks for your prompt reply !