Hello All,
I am looking for a footprint for the PowerPAK 8 x 8L SINGLE (Page 15). I am not very good at drawing a footprint. Would anyone know where i could find one ?
yes, I do. hint, read the topic right below this one.
The footprint seems to be unique. The links within the link, couple of them are broken. All i have is the pdf, i will try to figure it out.
Bite the bullet and draw your own footprint. This will be very rewarding on a long run.
I didn’t bother with stock footprints since my KiCad day one.
1 Like
Thanks just began doing it.
So from all the reading i understand its best to use freecad and stepup to do the footprint.
Now sadly none of the tutorials starts from scratch. its always from one of the existing footprints or a 3D model.
I haven’t used Freecad/Stepup for footprints!
It’s 3d only, useful for 3d models.
You can do your footprints in KiCad’s footprint editor. Your particular example is some 10 minute work.
Just if you’re starting take your time to learn the standards, so your new footprint will be compliant with your future work.
Start here: Tutorial: How to make a footprint in KiCad 5.1.x (From scratch)?
1 Like
Thanks.
From the datasheet i can see the dimensions but the placement from the origin is kinda confusing.
In the datasheet attached, the placement of the main pad which is 8.00 long and 3.99+0.50+0.85=5.34 high. Are coordinates for these mentioned as y=4.05, x=1.29 ? how is the grid set ? In the tutorial mentioned here. The author uses a formula but not clear on what it is based.
Well on the information found in the datasheet of course 
The molex connector of that tutorial has its info spread over two drawings and i explain in the text that it is rather hard to combine the two drawings in that particular case.
In your case the blue dimensions on the left are given relative to the origin (so no calculations needed here). So the bottom edge of the big pad (without ears) is 0.54mm down from the origin. which would mean the center of that pad would be (size of the pad in y direction divided by two minus 0.54mm towards “up”.)
However, this is not a critical size if you do not use automated manufacturing. If you hand populate your board then just choose an origin that makes it easy to make the pad.
Heck you could even simplify the pad by converting that complex pad into a simple rectangle. It will most likely work just as well (again assuming hand or low volume production).
just go to snapeda or samacsys
I posted several videos on Youtube on making a footprints with FreeCad - each contains making the part in FreeCad and using it in KiCad for a footprint.
Use the Play controls to slow it down, as needed.
Also, Yes, FreeCad does have a 2D drawing workbench, called Draft Workbench. It’s not easy to learn Draft but, it’s needed if wanting to put Text on 3D parts or to draw something.
no, freecad would be great for footprints due to it’s dimensional layout sketching. just export to dxf and you can import to kicad.
Or use stepup to get to a footprint directly from the sketcher workbench.
I like to keep my footprints standard as possible. This footprint is exclusive to Vishay so neither Snapeda nor samacsys has it.
This is one package that you do not want to hand solder. I have used these packages a couple of times using a local assembly house and the soldering quality has been good.
There are very similar packages from Infineon and Onsemi with slightly different recommended footprints, worth having a look at.
Yea the PowerPak So-8-Single seems to look more or less similar but not close enough with dimensions.
untrue …
When deciding if a footprint works then you might want to check out the dimensions of the package itself. If the packages of two manufacturers have the exact same dimensions including tolerances then it is near certain that both can be used on the same exact footprint even if the manufacturers give different suggestions for how to make the footprint.
had earlier come across this but the GEN 3 and stuff threw me off. Checked the datasheet of that specific model and they seem to be the same.