3D Model : edge mounted DB9, unavailable in 5.1.10?

[Vince]

Hi people,

New to Kicad, using the latest stable 5.1.10 on (X)Ubuntu 16.04

Just laid out a tiny board designed to be mounted inside a DB9 plug, so the DB9 is mounted on the edge of the board.

The footprint library does contain an edge mounted DB9 so no worries there, I was able to lay out the board. However when I run the 3Dviewer the DB9 does not show up, no 3D model available for it in 5.1.10 then ?

I searched in this forum and found an old thread mentionning something about getting the 3D model library/browser to look on-line in the “Github” repositroy of Kicad. Apparently Github contains some 3D models that are not supplied/packaged with Kicad.

I know nothing about this Github thing, how does one do to setup/configure Kicad to search for 3D models in Github ??

If Github does not have the required 3D model, how does one do to make a request for it ? I searched on Google and came across that site “GrabCAD” where engineers make models for free that one can download. They do have an edge mounted DB9:

https://grabcad.com/library/female-d-sub9-connector-with-solder-cups-1

Is that useful at all or is the file format (don’t know what it is…) not good for use in Kicad and no way to “convert” it ?

Basically how does this whole 3D model thing work in Kicad ! ^^

Thanks in advance,

Vince

[eelik]

You should first read the “Mechanical CAD integration and 3d models” section from (Start Here) Frequently Asked Questions.

The stp file should work directly.

[SembazuruCDE]

I don’t know if you are experienced doing this, but just in case you aren’t…

Solder-cup connectors were never designed to have a PCB shoved between the rows, so they weren’t designed for standard PCB thicknesses. Therefor it is up to you to make sure that you order the correct thickness of PCB to fit your connector. While pretty much all solder cup connectors that I’ve come across have straight pins so the center-line to center-line of the contact rows is actually defined by a specification, the diameter of the solder cups aren’t. Different connectors may have different ODs on the solder cups, leading to bigger or smaller gaps between the rows.

My suggestion is to take some shim-stock and see what range of thicknesses fit between the pins of the specific connector that you plan to use. This range should be from snugly fitting to just a little loose (too loose and you may have problems bridging the gap with solder). Once you have that range, order a board that has a “finished board thickness” that fits within that range. You may need to pay more to get a custom thickness, especially on a 2 layer board. 4 layer boards may be easier to get a custom thickness by adjusting the number of prepreg layers used.

If you are already aware of this, my apologies for overexplaining. I just wanted to save you the expense of purchasing unusable boards because of something you may not have thought of.

[Vince]

Thanks for the warning ! Didn’t know that the diameter of the cups could vary and therefore cause a varying gap between the rows… good to know !

Luckily here I started from the mechanical side of things and only afterwards I moved on to designing the board, not the other way around…

So I had ordered the DB9 connector and its amphenol shell I was considering using, so I could first see how well or badly a regular/standard 1,6mm thick board would fit between the rows of pins. It fitted just fine, not too tight not too loose, just right. So I validated the concept and moved on to designing the board as a second step.

Still, of course, that’s only a prototype board which will need to be assessed… will probably need slight modifications. Also the thickness of it might ever so slightly thicker or thinner who knows, because of tolerances… so I need to make sure the board I get from whatever PCB house I end up using, has an appropriate thickness.