Connectors_IEC_DIN and correct libraries use

[AndreaQ77]

Hello everybody. I’m a new KiCad user.
I have installed it one month ago and used everery days to learn and improve my knoledge.
For one month I used it with the libraries included in the installation.
Some days ago I try to use github and the git library.
I note that this libraries are better organized and I like the advantages of git sync.

Today I am searching a DIN connector 41612.
I note that in the git library isn’t included.
It is in a different place… https://github.com/KiCad/Connectors_IEC_DIN.pretty

It’s normal? I wrong somethink?

Furthermore I note that in the git library there are missing many 3d models. It’s normal? I wrong somethink?

Are the git libraries to be used as an alternative to those included in the installation or in combination?

Thank you for your help.
Andrea

[Rene_Poschl]

Well first of all you put a question clearly about footprints into the symbols category. (I fixed that for you.) If you are unsure what the difference is, maybe this is a good read for you

Now to the question it self. Remember the kicad library is community created and will never encompass all possible parts. (There are no 3d models because nobody bothered to create and share them.)

Now about library inclusion.
When you run kicad for the first time, it does copy the fp-lib-table from it’s installation directory into your user directory. If you then later update kicad, it does not automatically update the fp-lib-table. (In fact it can’t do that, because kicad has no information about your intentions. The libs that are “missing” from the fp-lib-table might have been removed by the user to reduce clutter for them.)

So if we on the library side add new libs, these will not be automatically added to your installation.

More information about footprint library versioning: How can i install a specific version of the footprint library?

[AndreaQ77]

Thank you Rene for your support.
Sorry for the wrong category of the post, but the question is generic for schematic, footprints, 3dModels.
I need to understant if my use of KiCad is correct or if there is a better way.

For a new development:
I install KiCad, remove the default integrated libraries, maps Git libraries of simbols, footprints and 3dModels.
In this case I can mantain updated the libraries wit Git.

Correct?

For missing part in the Git libraries, they are not present, so I have to implement it, right?
Andrea.

[Rene_Poschl]

If you mean the github plugin by “github libraries” then these only exist for footprints.

In general it is a bad idea to have automatically updating libs. The current github plugin that is used to download footprints on demand gives the user no control. Everytime you start a new session kicad will download all footprints libraries “needed” in that session.

Lets assume you take more then one session to finish a project. The following can easily happen:

• session 1: you add a symbol and assign a footprint to it after checking the footprint is correct for your part.
• After you have loaded the footprint to check, we on the library side merge a change that makes that footprint incompatible to your part.
• session 2: you are now finished with the schematic and start with the layout. While importing the netlist, kicad downloads the current (now changed) footprint from github.

This is only one of the reasons why the github plugin has been a bad idea in general.
You will get better results by locally installing the libraries as i described in the FAQ post i linked above. (the one about library versioning) That way you can update the library when you are ready for it. (You would never update while in the middle of a project.)

I would suggest you download the library for version 4.0.7 and activate that particular lib for all types of libraries. (footprint, symbol and 3d models)