Still no fabrication layer in 'new' pretty footprints? So, make your own? Save in single or multiple pretty libraries?

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Crosspost from the meta forum regarding making my own footprints IPC-7351C compliant.
This addresses my need for everything metric and having a solid base for my footprints!

After some experiments with Chris Pavlina’s footprints (https://github.com/cpavlina/kicad-pcblib) and modifying the scripts a bit (oops. Python was new to me) to get fabrication outlines, etc. I came to the conclusion that these footprints are indeed using the older IPC naming conventions and footprint conventions and are not easy to adapt to the latest and greatest IPC7351C version.

In other words: I will definitely use the free IPC footprint generator as the basis for my Kicad footprints, just fill in the min/max dimensions, pitch, etc. and you the footprint is auto-generated for you (14 pin, 1.27 pitch SOP):

1109×834 7.76 KB

As you can see, this one uses the latest standard:

  • Latest naming convention with the #of pins at the start and not anymore at the end of the filename, ie: SOIC14P127_865X600X172L84X41N.kicad_mod, great!
  • Horizontal orientation (“B”) with pin #1 at the lower left corner as opposed to the vertical “A” orientation
  • New courtyard outline
  • New silkscreen conventions (no silkscreen under the body of the chip!!!). You see only two lines at the top and bottom of the chip.
  • New pin 1 convention (no dot anymore, just a short line)
  • And not new, but very nice: everything is metric. Goodbye to imperial!

I just add my %R to the fabrication layer, and the %V and outline to the eco1.user layer, and my IPC-7351C compliant Kicad footprint is complete!

So apart from the existing Kicad footprint libraries I now have three extra libraries (the 3-tier system):

  • M…Most Material Condition (Level A): IPC-7351C_Most.pretty
  • N…Nominal Material Condition (Level B): IPC-7351C_Nominal.pretty --> My default.
  • L…Least Material Condition (Level C): IPC-7351C_Least.pretty

And with those libraries in place, I have a solid basis to migrate some of my current and new designs to IPC footprints where available without having to change any of the Kicad footprint libraries. They can co-exist :grinning:

Me happy :grin: