FreePCB User Guide |
Version 1.2 |
6. Footprints and Libraries
6.1 Footprint Libraries
Footprints are stored in library files, which have the extension .fpl. Each file contains multiple footprints, usually for packages of the same type. FreePCB comes with a set of library files, most of which were obtained by converting libraries from Ivex Design International Inc., a maker of commercial ECAD software which went out of business last year. These files are organized into three groups:
When you create a project in FreePCB, you will select a library folder to use for the project. Normally, this will be the core library folder. If you need to use any of the other libraries, you should copy them into the core library folder. If you want, you can copy ALL of the files into the core library folder so they will all be in one place.
You can create your own custom footprints using the Footprint Wizard or the Footprint Editor, which are covered in Section 6.2: Footprint Wizard and Section 6.3: Footprint Editor. If you create your own footprints, I would recommend saving them in separate library files instead of the standard files that come with FreePCB. That way, if there are updates to the standard libraries, you can replace them without losing your custom footprints.
Each library file is documented in a PDF file, which has the same name as the library file except for the extension .pdf instead of .fpl. If you are searching for a particular footprint, the PDF files are the best place to look. You can also browse for footprints in the Add > Part dialog, but the PDF files contain more information such as dimensions and pad sizes.
If you create or modify your own libraries, you can make PDF files for them using the Tools > Make PDF from Library File... menu item in the Footprint Editor.
The library files that are currently supplied with FreePCB are listed in the sections below. Note that files containing footprints with through-hole pads start with "th_" while those with SMT pads start with "sm_".
6.11 Core libraries
Filename (.fpl) | Source(s) | Type | Description |
th_transistor | Ivex, JEDEC | through-hole | JEDEC TO-series transistor and IC packages |
th_diode | Ivex, JEDEC | through-hole | JEDEC DO-series diode packages |
th_capacitor | Ivex | through-hole | Capacitors, polarized and non-polarized |
th_resistor | Ivex | through-hole | Resistors, including potentiometers |
th_connector | Ivex | through-hole | Connectors |
th_header | Ivex | through-hole | Headers |
th_sip | Ivex | through-hole | SIP (single-in-line) packages (100 mil spacing) |
th_dip | Ivex | through-hole | DIP (dual-in-line) packages (100 mil spacing) |
sm_resistor | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | Chip resistors |
sm_capacitor | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | Chip and tantalum capacitors |
sm_soic | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | SOIC (small outline IC) packages |
sm_sop | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | SOP and TSOP (small outline package) packages |
sm_soj | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | SOJ (small outline J-lead) packages |
sm_lcc | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | LCC (leadless chip carrier) packages |
sm_plcc | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | PLCC (plastic leaded chip carrier) packages |
sm_sot | Ivex, Siemens | surface-mount | SOT (small outline transistor) packages |
led | Ivex | mixed | Light-emitting diodes |
test_point | Ivex | mixed | Test points |
6.12 Extra libraries
Filename (.fpl) | Source(s) | Type | Description |
sm_qfp | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | PQFP, SQFP and QFP (quad flat-pack) packages (this file is not in the core library folder because it is so large) |
device | Ivex | mixed | Various devices |
sm_tantalum_cap | Ivex | surface_mount | Tantalum capacitors from AVX |
elfa_cap | Ivex | mixed | Capacitors from the ELFA catalog |
elfa_chk | Ivex | mixed | Various devices from the ELFA catalog |
elfa_pot | Ivex | mixed | Potentiometers from the ELFA catalog |
elfa_res | Ivex | mixed | Resistors from the ELFA catalog |
flatpack | Ivex, JEDEC | mixed | Quad flatpacks |
sm_ipc782 | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | Various devices from IPC not in other libraries |
siemens2 | Ivex, Siemens | mixed | Siemens LCC packages |
siemens3 | Ivex, Siemens | mixed | Siemens SO packages |
siemens4 | Ivex, Siemens | mixed | Siemens QFP packages |
transformer | Ivex | mixed | Transformers |
tx_inst | Ivex | mixed | Various Burr-Brown and Texas Instruments packages |
6.13 Contributed libraries
Filename (.fpl) | Source(s) | Type | Description |
flintstone | Anonymous | mixed | Various relays, pots, transformers and connectors |