Populating the PCB

Before components can be soldered into the board, the necessary holes need to be drilled. The PCB program should have included where these holes need to be, or if you made a custom footprint you designed them with the via button. Place the PCB in a drill press. The chosen drill bit should be slightly larger than the components pin hole such that it can be soldered in. For most common electronic components use a #60 carbide drill bit. Make sure the drill bit is carbide tipped so that in doesn't break when cutting through the fibreglass PCB. Also make sure to wear goggles for this process as there will be fibreglass shards. Drill out necessary holes. Keep the fibreglass shavings in a pile and after drilling is complete, vacuum them up. The electronic components are now ready to be soldered in.