Help with designing an Arduino shield.

[Hawaii00000]

I'm currently designing a shield for my Arduino, but I'm not sure how most people attach the headers. If I just make a hole, thread them through, and solder them, they'll be on the wrong side of the board. How do most people do it? Also, how do you make small holes in a pbc (the smallest drill bit available is to big)?

[cosminprund]

If I just make a hole, thread them through, and solder them, they'll be on the wrong side of the board. How do most people do it?

Well then push the headers trow the board so they'll be on the correct side of the board! Then solder where the copper is.

Also, how do you make small holes in a PCB (the smallest drill bit available is to big)?

Shops that have copper-clad PCB usually have drill bits for drilling PCB. Get some nice 0.8 mm bits; I've also got some 0.5mm bits but they're sooooo small.... I haven't found a use for them. A 1mm bit is also usefull at times (Example: the leads from some components don't fit throw the 0.8 mm holes).

[Hawaii00000]

I don't think you understand my question properly...


The end with the "x" is where the solder goes., and the line of "l"s are the header. The bottom connects to the Arduino, and the "O"s are a component.

                                          OO            X
            _________________OO______XlX_____
                                         XXX            l
                                                          l
                                                          l
                                                          l

Both sets of "X"s need to connect, but they can just go through the board. How is this usually done?

[Ro-Bot-X]

It is done with a double side PCB. But if you are etching it yourself, you have to make sure you have connections only on the Top layer and nothing on the Bottom Layer at the header pins that go under the board. And you need to have connections only on the Bottom Layer for the pins that go on top of the board. Why? Because you can't solder under the pins and under the IC sockets. You ca do that for a resistor, maybe for a capacitor, or LED, or transistor, so these parts can be soldered on both sides of the board. If you need to use Vias, use a 0.5mm drill bit for them and place a (wrapping) wire through the hole and solder it on both sides of the board.

If you have the board made professionally, they will make the holes metalized, so the solder will flow through the hole on both sides of the board.

[cosminprund]

I don't think you understand my question properly...
<< ASCII drawing edited out >>
Both sets of "X"s need to connect, but they can just go through the board. How is this usually done?

I assume you're designing a single-sided PCB and will be etching it yourself. All the pin headers I've seen had a nice plastic tab on them to help with alignment and give some mechanical strength to the pin. Don't let that full you, it's not that strong (mechanically). Just push it all the way to one side and then push the header throw the hole. Solder where your coper is I've made a pretty picture of what I'm sugesting. Number (1) shows are pins are normally soldered. (2) Shows how you can "hack" them so you can solder them the way you need them:

[Ro-Bot-X]

Never thought at this way of mounting them! See, we learn something new all the time, sometime in areas where we feel we have enough experience. Thanks!

[Hawaii00000]

Actually the boards I'm making them from are double sided, but that illustration looks like a really good idea. Thanks for the help!! (helpful?=+1)