Hi, How do I differentiate between PTHs and non-PTHs? I understand there is a .drl syntax that specifies "P" or "NP" for holes in the drill file. How do I generate a .drl file with this syntax? thanks, Doug
N
Numerical Support Team
said
about 14 years ago
Great Question. The NC drill file (*.drl) doesn't contain information whether the drill holes will be plated or not, that information would be in the drill report file (*.rpt) which is created when exporting your drill files. The report file contains the number of drill hits, drill size, and whether the drill will be plated or non-plated.
Note: To define whether a drill hole will be plated or non-plated using FAB 3000, you may load all data into FAB 3000 and then go to the Drill Tools Table... (menu: Tables | NC Tools Table..) and un-check the check box "Plated" for any drill holes that are non-plated. This is very important because advanced features like DFM and Netlist extraction will treat the drill holes differently if they are non-plated.
Note: When exporting your drill file (menu: File | Export | Drill...) a drill report file (*.rpt) will be automatically created along with your drill file (*.drl).
Note: Typically as a rule larger holes (over .125") can usually be assumed to be non-plated in most cases.
Doug McKenney