SS54 shottky diode footprint?

Hi,

I am surprised not to find anything similar in kicad library for such a common diode

am I missing something ?

thanks

Phil

A link to a data sheet? :wink:

not sure I follow what you mean
as mentioned, I need a library

And ‘we’ need a link to the datasheet showing the recommended footprint. It may exist in the library. All such requests should provide a link to the datasheet for ‘we’ to reference.

It is SMA diode, but I don’t know KiCad libraries.

@ hermit really ?

datasheet

Your datasheet says SMC while I use SS54 in SMA:

voila , problem solved, it is just a functional schematic anyway

You were looking for diode symbol :slight_smile:
I was sure that selecting footprint is a problem.

That’s what the title said.

Probably a good opportunity for @phil12345678911 to learn how KiCad libraries operate: What is the difference between footprints and symbols?

I wonder about using a schottky diode for 5A when it is packaged in only an SMA package. I think it needs a lot of copper area at one or both pins, and even that may not work so well if the pin on the SMA package is not heavy copper.

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I just remembered that years ago I was using some SSxx diode in SMA.
You made me search in archive - it was SS14.
But using 5A diode for 0.5A is not forbidden and then SMA is OK.

The contact pins are a minimum of 51 mils wide. A 50 mil trace is adequate for 5A under common conditions, though it doesn’t leave much margin for stress situations. Yeah, this is a design detail that may call for close inspection and analysis.

wait until you learn how small the bond wires are…

I was more concerned about sinking heat from the diode. At 5A you might get 1.5 or 2 watts of power dissipation just from the forward voltage drop. For SMT diodes the usual heatsink method is to spread the heat into the pcb copper.

I would never intentionally use a component at 100% of rating but this one deserves more skepticism than most others.

As for tracks handling amperes of current, I will almost always make them as wide as can reasonably fit. The pcb fabricator does not give you a rebate for etched copper. Putting more into the tracks gives you better heat spreading, lower voltage drops (those are not usually much anyway) and reduced heating of the tracks. Perhaps most useful is slightly lower layout inductance.

Maybe you need a Scotty diode that complains: She canna take any more current, Jim! :crazy_face:

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In my life I have often seen used PCBs which had turned brown around the heat dissipating components. Maybe this is a bit like what can happen to underwear after stress.

Have we strayed from our purpose? :wink: