Ron,
It depends on whether in your specific process it would make sense. In my
opinion vendors would see so many variations
from different companies that I do not see how it would help them any to
make it standard, unless it where an industry standard,
and I don't think we will see that happen. So using your particular software
do it in the most automated fashion would be my vote and I would think it
would be the most accurate.
Executone Inter-Tel Business Information Systems, Inc.
Robert M. Wolfe C.I.D.
Lead PCB Designer
478 Wheelers Farms Road
Milford, CT 06460
Phone: 203-882-6405
Fax:   203-882-2727
Email: [log in to unmask]


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ron James [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2000 2:13 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      [DC] Drill symbol standardization
>
>      I would like to take an informal poll of other designers on the lists
>      to see how many companies use standardized drill symbols on
>      fabrication drawings.  (i.e. always use the same symbol for .021
>      holes, etc, on all fab drawings for all designs.)
>
>      We changed from PCAD to Orcad a couple of years ago.  In PCAD we
> built
>      the padstacks to include the symbol, so by default used a standard
>      symbol for each size.  Orcad handles drill symbols by automatically
>      assigning them and creating a chart in the database (a very nice
>      feature from my point of view.)  The symbol/size association will be
>      different from one design to another.  Also, Orcad is limited to 46
>      different symbols, and we are already pushing that number of drill
>      sizes for our entire library.  This means that if we want to use
>      standard symbols across all designs, we will have to bypass Orcad's
>      automatic symbol assignment and come up with a very manual process.
>
>      This question is being prompted by engineers who really liked the
>      standardized symbols, and feel that their ability to check drawings
> is
>      made significantly easier by that system.  They have been burned in
>      the past by hole size issues and feel that such errors will be more
>      difficult to catch if they can no longer compare drawings at a glance
>      (new vs old revisions, or two unrelated designs that use the same
>      parts, etc.)
>
>      To sum up my questions:
>      1)  Does your company use standard hole size symbols across all
>      designs?
>      2)  If so, does your software accommodate this, or is it a manual
>      process for you?
>      3)  If so, do your end users (design, manufacturing or process
>      engineers) find this to be valuable?
>
>
>      Thanks for any and all assistance.  Please pardon the duplication
>      between lists.
>
>      Ron James, CID
>      UT Electronic Controls