Drill-Pair Properties

The Drill-Pair Properties dialog

Summary

The Drill-Pair Properties dialog provides controls to configure a drill pair for the active layer stack in terms of start and stop layers. Drill pairs must be configured when blind, buried, or build-up type vias are to be used, with a drill pair for each layer-pair that a via spans. The dialog is also used for defining back drill start stop layers for a design that uses back drilling.

Access

The dialog is accessed from the PCB Editor through the Drill-Pair Manager dialog in the following ways:

• Click the Add button.
• Select a currently-defined drill pair (other than the Top Layer - Bottom Layer drill pair when the active stack is the default Board Layer Stack, which cannot be edited) then click the Drill Pair Properties button.

Options/Controls

• Drill-Pair Properties - the following fields collectively define the drill pair:
  • Start Layer - the start layer for the pair. Choose from any of the currently defined signal and plane layers for the board as configured and enabled in the active layer stackup.
  • Stop Layer - the stop layer for the pair. Choose from any of the currently defined signal and plane layers for the board as configured and enabled in the active layer stackup.
  • Back drill pair - enable this option to define this pairing of start and stop layers as the layers that will potentially be back-drilled through. One of the Start/Stop layers must be a surface layer (Top Layer or Bottom Layer); the other layer can be any internal layer. To learn more about back drilling, refer to the Controlled Depth Drilling, or Back Drilling article.

Tips

• Drill pairs must be defined to suit the layer stack-up style. This should be done in consultation with your board manufacturer to ensure that your design matches their fabrication technology.