The issue is not entirely the hole itself but the entire hole feature includung any pad(s). When the edge of the board is routed, it is generallly a good idea not to clip the hole or expose the copper pad area at the edge of the board. This plays into the ongoing debate over fabricators removing pads in that the internal layers may have non- functional pads which may be exposed throughout the entire package stackup - probably best left to a different forum - but we have always tried to prevent such occurances. Keep in mind that common sense often is a good guide and that in most cases exposed copper at the edge of a PWB is not a good thing. Regards, Bob Hoene Marquette Electronics Molwaukee, WI