FreePCB User Guide

 Version 1.2


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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

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