Finding Arduino Pro Mini footprint

[eelik]

Hmm, how’s that? The second post was:

“Isn’t that already in the Mysensors kicad libraries?”

mysensors-kicad/mysensors_arduino.pretty

[Vagulus]

That’s more use, but what do I do with the ZIP file? Where do I put it? Do I unzip it? Where do I unzip it to? There is no README in the ZIP.

[eelik]

Completely accidentally, while installing a nightly build, I just found out that the pre-5 version has project templates for Arduinos. I haven’t used templates, maybe someone could help a bit further? Do they work with v4?

[eelik]

What KiCad version you are using?

[Rene_Poschl]

Every template in the v5 libs should also be in v4 (we did not add new ones in quite some time)

The templates in the v5 repo are however not compatible with v4.

[Rene_Poschl]

@Vagulus

That’s more use, but what do I do with the ZIP file? Where do I put it? Do I unzip it? Where do I unzip it to? There is no README in the ZIP.

Just copy the kicad_mod file into one of your personal libs. (The .pretty folders)
You can also use the footprint editor to import it into a lib.
More about creating personal libs see: Creating a new footprint library

[Vagulus]

I am using version 4.0.7

[eelik]

I don’t have that version at hand, but you can try to create a new project from template (in the main window toolbar and menu). The arduino board is represented a bit differently there, as several different connectors.

[dchisholm]

@Vagulus

My next step would, I assume. be to create a footprint for this beast, but try as I might I have been unable to find a datasheet giving the applicable dimensions. One could assume that the pins along the sides are at 0.1" centres but there are a few more dimensions which are better read than guessed. Would someone please point me to a usable datasheet or dimension drawing?

I have had difficulty finding accurate, dimensioned sketches for anything in the Arduino world. (And, be careful about using the words “sketch” or “drawing” in that land. When the twenty-somethings who live there begin to comprehend what you’re asking for they are likely to respond with something like, "Oh, you want a picture! Give me a moment to get my phone camera out . . . ".)

You may find some of my old posts helpful:
Arduino Nano PCB Files
Help with importing arduino pro mini . . . .

(Late edit) Here are two more, which include a link to a revealing external page:
Arduino Blank Shield Available?
One aspect of the Footprint Editor is confusing me . . .

Dale

[ppelleti]

@Vagulus

BOM is Bill of Materials, what’s .pos? And why would I need more than one footprint for one artifact?

.pos is for pick-and-place machines. It’s irrelevant for hobbyist use.

If you were going to put female headers on your board for the Arduino Pro Mini to plug into, then you need two female headers. That’s two parts for the pick-and-place machine to place. So, you would need two footprints, because each footprint can only specify one part for the pick-and-place machine to place. Again, though, that’s not relevant in the hobbyist case.

@dchisholm

I have had difficulty finding accurate, dimensioned sketches for anything in the Arduino world.

The most authoritative source would be the source files, but unfortunately they’re in Eagle format.

[1.21Gigawatts]

There’s a previous topic with dimensions and links to 3D models for the Arduino Pro Mini

[Vagulus]

I have Eagle so that worked. Thanks.
Arduino-Pro-Mini.pdf (78.0 KB)

[Vagulus]

Thank you for that. PDF of dimensions in last posting.

[jgalak]

Be careful with Pro Minis, especially if you use SparkFun modules (or ones based on sparkfun). They aren’t an exact match to the reference standard, a few of the pins (the four that aren’t near the edge, iirc) aren’t the same.

I know I recently found a KiCad library that had both standard and sparkfun Pro Mini footprints and symbols, but can’t recall where. Might be able to find once back on computer.

[SembazuruCDE]

@jgalak

SparkFun modules (or ones based on sparkfun)

I thought it was SparkFun who first developed the Pro Mini, thus defined the “standard”. If you look at the picture of the pro mini on the Arduino web site, the SparkFun flame is clearly evident. The other variants are either someone not following the standard properly, or trying to make it “better” and making a new “standard”… See https://xkcd.com/927/

Also, I found this on the product page for the Pro Mini: “The Arduino Pro Mini was designed and is manufactured by SparkFun Electronics.” So, the advise should be to be careful with Pro Minis if you use one not based on the SparkFun modules. Not everyone follows the reference standard.

[paulvdh]

I do not like “arduino” much, but I bought some arduino boards (The wide boards with crazy pinout) together with some TFT displays from Ali, because I was curious about those displays and assumed I could just stick such a display on the arduino board.

It did not fit!
Pin spacing between the left and right row of pins was 0.1" wider than on the arduino boards.
By bending the “arduino” connectors a bit outward, and the TFT pins a bit inward I was able to fit them together but is is not as it should be.

Motto:
Beware of library components. Triple check everything.
This is also why I maintain my own checked library components.

[dchisholm]

@jgalak

Be careful with Pro Minis, especially if you use SparkFun modules (or ones based on sparkfun). They aren’t an exact match to the reference standard, a few of the pins (the four that aren’t near the edge, iirc) aren’t the same.

From an old post at Arduino Blank Shield Available? :

@dchisholm

. . . the “Pro Mini” doesn’t seem to have standards for its mechanical interface, so you must lock in a particular vendor before you lay out a board. Some of this non-standardization is demonstrated at https://arduino-board.com/boards/arduino-pro-mini Notice that some vendors place various pins in different locations, and some of the pin groupings appear in a different order on various versions of the product. One thing that isn’t obvious in the photos on that web page: some of the pad locations are NOT on the 50-mil (1.27 mm) grid that seems to govern the other pin placements. (They’re about 10 mils (0.25 mm) off the grid.) To aggravate the problem, it’s difficult to find diagrams that actually define the pin locations for any of the variants - the best I found is at http://img.alibaba.com/img/pb/053/955/500/500955053_563.jpg

Click the first link in the above quote & look at the pictures! Even Sparkfun seems to have produced two variations of the Pro Mini!

@jgalak

. . . I know I recently found a KiCad library that had both standard and sparkfun Pro Mini footprints and symbols, but can’t recall where . . . .

Perhaps the attachments to Help with importing arduino pro mini . . . ??

Dale

[jgalak]

@dchisholm

From an old post at Arduino Blank Shield Available? :

@dchisholm

. . . the “Pro Mini” doesn’t seem to have standards for its mechanical interface, so you must lock in a particular vendor before you lay out a board. Some of this non-standardization is demonstrated at https://arduino-board.com/boards/arduino-pro-mini Notice that some vendors place various pins in different locations, and some of the pin groupings appear in a different order on various versions of the product. One thing that isn’t obvious in the photos on that web page: some of the pad locations are NOT on the 50-mil (1.27 mm) grid that seems to govern the other pin placements. (They’re about 10 mils (0.25 mm) off the grid.) To aggravate the problem, it’s difficult to find diagrams that actually define the pin locations for any of the variants - the best I found is at http://img.alibaba.com/img/pb/053/955/500/500955053_563.jpg

Click the first link in the above quote & look at the pictures! Even Sparkfun seems to have produced two variations of the Pro Mini!

I may well have gotten it backwards. The point is, be careful

@jgalak

. . . I know I recently found a KiCad library that had both standard and sparkfun Pro Mini footprints and symbols, but can’t recall where . . . .

Perhaps the attachments to Help with importing arduino pro mini . . . ??

That’s the one! Worked great for me.

[ppelleti]

@dchisholm

Even Sparkfun seems to have produced two variations of the Pro Mini!

To be fair, SparkFun’s newer version is strictly backwards-compatible with their older version. All they did was add two new analog pins in a place where there had been no pins before.