1 Schematic Symbol with 2 Footprint Halves

sajattack · May 13, 2018, 10:18pm

I’m trying to assign a footprint for a 9V battery holder but the male and female halves are two separate parts (Keystone 593 and 594). How should I go about doing this?

eelik · May 13, 2018, 10:34pm

I would use two 1-pin symbols and two footprints. Each one attached to a power net. Do you already have ready-made footprints? You can of course use one symbol and one footprint, it doesn’t matter if there are several physical parts for one footprint, ECAD doesn’t need to know or care about that unless you use some BOM solution which requires one part for one footprint/symbol.

hermit · May 13, 2018, 11:08pm

Google?

github.com

xesscorp/xess.pretty/blob/master/xess-KEYSTONE-593+594.kicad_mod

(module xess-KEYSTONE-593+594 (layer F.Cu) (tedit 200000)
  (attr virtual)
  (fp_text reference >NAME (at 3.175 0.635 90) (layer B.SilkS)
    (effects (font (size 1.27 1.27) (thickness 0.0889)))
  )
  (fp_text value >VALUE (at 5.08 0 90) (layer B.SilkS)
    (effects (font (size 1.27 1.27) (thickness 0.0889)))
  )
  (fp_line (start -3.048 -10.922) (end 0 -10.922) (layer F.SilkS) (width 0.3048))
  (fp_line (start 0 -10.922) (end 0 -8.128) (layer F.SilkS) (width 0.3048))
  (fp_line (start 0 -8.128) (end 0 -4.572) (layer F.SilkS) (width 0.3048))
  (fp_line (start 0 -4.572) (end 0 -1.778) (layer F.SilkS) (width 0.3048))
  (fp_line (start 0 -1.778) (end -3.048 -1.778) (layer F.SilkS) (width 0.3048))
  (fp_line (start -3.048 1.778) (end 0 1.778) (layer F.SilkS) (width 0.3048))
  (fp_line (start 0 1.778) (end 0 4.572) (layer F.SilkS) (width 0.3048))
  (fp_line (start 0 4.572) (end 0 8.128) (layer F.SilkS) (width 0.3048))
  (fp_line (start 0 8.128) (end 0 10.922) (layer F.SilkS) (width 0.3048))
  (fp_line (start 0 10.922) (end -3.048 10.922) (layer F.SilkS) (width 0.3048))
  (fp_line (start 3.81 -6.35) (end 6.35 -6.35) (layer F.SilkS) (width 0.3048))
  (fp_line (start 5.08 -7.62) (end 5.08 -5.08) (layer F.SilkS) (width 0.3048))

This file has been truncated. show original

Joan_Sparky · May 14, 2018, 2:10am

Is this for manual or automated assembly?

Manual: @hermit s answer, 1 symbol, 1 footprint, human needs to take care of the ordering.

Automated: @eelik s answer, 2 symbols, 2 footprints (with one having position information on the Eco1 layer for example for the other connector, so you get them right in the layout), BOM and POS file will work for automation.

TL;DR:
We don’t know when KiCAD will be able to handle single symbol/multiple footprint components, so you got these 2 workarounds to choose from.

paulvdh · May 15, 2018, 12:56am

I have vague memories of a “wire bridge” component.
The idea was to have 2 separately movable pads on the PCB between which you should solder a wire.
It might be worth looking into that.

Rene_Poschl · May 15, 2018, 12:57am

Such a component is not doable with the current kicad versions. The workaround for the wire bridge is to add an additional copper layer and use vias as your solder points.

paulvdh · May 15, 2018, 1:15am

I never actually used that “wire bridge” component. Fiddled around with it for a few minutes and it did not seem to work. Just looked at the libraries and it seems I can’t even find it anymore.

Simplest solution / workaround seems to be to simply use 2 schematic symbols, one for each pad.
Another option is to make a footprint with 2 pads. While you are editing a footprint you can change the relative position of pads to whatever you want.

Addition:
I had no Idea what a Keystone 593 was, so I looked it up:
https://datasheet.octopart.com/593-Keystone-datasheet-15715860.pdf

The 2 parts of your battery connector should always be on the same relative positon to each other, or else your battery won’t fit.
So simply use a single footprint for both those parts.
The only problem left is that you have a single schematic symbol with 2 physical parts.
That might get you into trouble while creating the BOM.

Oops. Did not look close at hermit’s post.
So xesscorp has gone through the trouble of releasing KiCad lib’s for their own components?
Nice.

Sorry for all the clutter.

system · August 13, 2018, 1:28am

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