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Pad size and annular ring calculator

Minimum land diameter for a plated through hole according to IPC-2221, the drill size and plane clearance, or a check of the worst-case annular ring of a pad you already have.

How it is calculated

Minimum land. IPC-2221 section 9.1.1: Land = a + 2b + c, where a is the maximum finished hole diameter, b the minimum annular ring (0.050 mm on external layers and 0.025 mm on internal layers in IPC-2221) and c the minimum fabrication allowance for the producibility level: 0.40 mm (level A), 0.25 mm (level B) or 0.20 mm (level C).

Worst case. The fabrication allowance accounts for drill wander and layer registration. The worst-case annular ring of an existing pad is (pad − hole − c)/2.

Drill and antipad. The drill is the finished hole plus the plating allowance, typically 0.05 to 0.15 mm. The antipad (clearance in planes the via does not connect to) is the drill diameter plus twice the clearance.

Your manufacturer's own minimums (often 0.1 to 0.15 mm annular ring) override these values when they are larger.

References

  1. IPC-2221, Generic Standard on Printed Board Design, section 9.1.1 and Table 9-1 (minimum fabrication allowances).
  2. IPC-6012, Qualification and Performance Specification for Rigid Printed Boards (annular ring acceptance by class).

Questions

What is an annular ring?

The ring of copper left around a drilled hole on a pad. If drilling or registration error shifts the hole too far, the ring breaks and the connection to the trace can be weakened or lost.

Which producibility level should I choose?

Level A for general boards from any shop, level B for most standard prototypes, level C only when you know the manufacturer can hold tight registration.

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