Hi,
I am trying to come up with a footprint that I need to place at the edge of a PCB that I am designing. Trying to replicate something like this →
There will be a 3.5mm female bullet connector on the slot which has a dimensions shown below → (2)
I tried using a rectangular pad with oval shaped hole and an offset of shape (pad) from hole = 1.5mm. Here’s the footprint I have made →
(Can’t upload footprint due restriction for new users, I am attaching a drive link for the footprint) link for footprint
Now here’s the issue that I am facing,
When I place the slot on the edge of the board there appears to be a very small layer of FR4 board hanging at the edge of the cutout. This is probably due to insufficient cutting of the plane → (3)
Offsetting this slot by 0.1-0.2 mm seems to solve this issue, however gives me a DRC error as follows → (4)
I would really appreciate it if someone could verify this footprint and suggest me some possible solution for the above issue. Any help or suggestion is appreciated.
I was told by PCB manufacturer we use that if I place te THT pad at the PCB edge (so half of pad is outside PCB) and I check appropriate checkbox in order form than I will get what I want.
I don’t know technology details but I got what I needed.
It was before 2017 when I started to use KiCad so I have no idea what KiCad thinks about it.
Hello Piotr,
I also believe that the board manufacturers will usually take care of this thing, although I would like to know what kind of check boxes do you have to tick to get it right. By any chance do you remember these ?
I have written that to tell that I think that they have to be informed in any way that you want PCB with metallization at edge. I’m not the one who orders PCBs for us (I am only designing them) so I can’t remember. Acoording to what I know the order form has many check-boxes like silkscreen on top, silkscreen on bottom, soldermask color selection, HAL or Gold, minimum track width, and minimum clearance.
Depending on that settings they use different technology. I just assume that there are also checkbox to tell them that the PCB has border metallization, but I’m not sure. May be they get that info just seeing pads at PCB border.
I can search their order form to check it but as it is the PCB manufacturer here in Poland I don’t think it is important for you.
Hi I would like to know whether its possible to provide with a cutout on the back solder mask layer. I have applied solder mask layer on the back side, however it covers the entire pad (including the slot opening).
please let me know if there’s a way to remove the solder mask so as to only cover the PAD area excluding the slot.
