JLCPCB basic components footprint (DipTrace) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: mvno_subscriber
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2021, 08:48:09 am
content: Hi,I'm trying to make my first pre-assembled board using JLCPCB's assembly service. As part of reducing costs, I want to use as much as possible of their basic parts list.Now, I can't necessarily find these in my component library (either built-in DipTrace or SnapEDA). On the JLCPCB parts library site, you can click on a link to see a preview of footprint and symbol (via EasyEDA?), but no way to download it.I assume there's something simple I'm not seeing, but what? Any others here using DipTrace and JLCPCB assembly? How do you get the component files you need?

author: forrestc
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2021, 08:58:35 am
content: Pro Tip:Learn how to use your library editor in Diptrace or whatever CAD software you're using.Once you know how to use your component and footprint editors, you find that it is often less effort to just roll your own than to use any standard library. This is especially true when you realize that often the library footprints are not consistent across libraries and sources. Over the years, I've built up an internal library with the correct footprints for all of the parts I've used.I did take a quick gander at what JLCPCB has available and it looks like it's EasyEDA specific. Which makes sense since EasyEDA is a JLCPCB service/product.

author: mvno_subscriber
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2021, 02:42:18 pm
content: Oh, the humanity..Is everyone else just rolling their own? Or are there any crowdsourced versions out there?

author: forrestc
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2021, 09:02:24 pm
content: Quote from: mvno_subscriber on October 23, 2021, 02:42:18 pmPretty much.Note that DipTrace now has a IPC-7351 land generator built in. Seehttps://resources.altium.com/p/pcb-land-pattern-design-ipc-7351-standardfor information about this. This makes almost all footprints really easy to make.

author: TomS_
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 30, 2021, 07:56:14 am
content: I tend to design a lot of my own footprints because I enjoy the process of doing so.Interpreting the datasheet and the sometimes gibberish looking dimensions and jumble of lines everywhere, and the "missing" dimensions that you have to infer from others. It's a fun challenge. 🙂But by doing so there has never been a part that I couldn't design into a project, so I highly recommend everyone to learn the process as well.Haven't yet screwed up a footprint, but it's bound to happen eventually I suppose.

author: phil from seattle
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2021, 03:25:55 pm
content: I posted about a closely related issue. The vast majority of chips in the JLCPCB library work with the Kicad (or other EDA's) footprints. And the vast majority of datasheets give you all the data you need to roll your own, if needed. Creating a footprint is not that hard. Just sit down with the datasheet and the footprint editor of your EDA of choice. It only takes doing a couple to get pretty good at it.Unfortunately, there are a number of parts that don't have enough detail in the datasheet and there are no premade footprints in the Kicad libraries. In particular, it seems like most of the USB connector data sheets don't specify the center of the part. That makes it hard to do a footprint that works with pick and place machines. In that case, I will look at the diptrace one to find the center. Definitely not optimal...

author: phil from seattle
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 06, 2021, 06:10:21 am
content: In my quest to solve this library problem, I came across an easyEDA to KiCAD converter. Maybe it can be used to pull footprints out of easyEDA for KiCAD. I will be checking it out but not sure when I'll have the time. So, I'm tossing out for anyone who wants to take a look.https://wokwi.com/tools/easyeda2kicad?utm_source=wokwi&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=easyeda2kicad

author: exe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 06, 2021, 07:57:25 am
content: I believe you can import kicad libs into diptrace.

author: alexaraujo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 06, 2021, 02:41:16 pm
content: Only once did I use a public library and never again, nothing better than creating your own.

author: alexaraujo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 06, 2021, 03:02:42 pm
content: Quote from: phil from seattle on November 01, 2021, 03:25:55 pmIn this situation in the past I got a sample piece and made the Pad, today with most software allowing import of .step files adjusted according to *.step

author: phil from seattle
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 06, 2021, 04:26:41 pm
content: Quote from: alexaraujo on November 06, 2021, 02:41:16 pmI hear you on that!My challenge was I wanted to use a USB connector from JLCPCB's library but there was no indication of the center of the part in the datasheet. The reason I wanted to get the easyEDA part was to find the center so I could fix my KiCAD footprint (that I made). I guessed at it from the easyEDA part, fixed my footprint and got the boards made. Turned out just fine but I hate guessing.

author: phil from seattle
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 06, 2021, 04:35:36 pm
content: Quote from: phil from seattle on November 06, 2021, 06:10:21 amA quick follow up. Sleepless in Seattle so I installed, learned enough and made a board in easyEDA (sheesh, talk about dumbed down). Then tested out the wokwi conversion. Sure enough, it worked and I got the footprint into the kicad footprint editor (kicad 5.1.xx). So it is certainly possible to get that far. Maybe wokwi will add making a footprint lib to save us users a couple of steps.By the way, from my small sample size of 1, it looks like the easyEDA footprints don't fully follow the datasheet footprint recommendations. There were two pads on the USB connector I used (MicroXNJ, C404969) that they didn't have even though called out in the datasheet. I think the two pads are to provide better adhesion to the PCB so are worth having, my footprint does.

author: alexaraujo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 06, 2021, 05:34:36 pm
content: Quote from: phil from seattle on November 06, 2021, 04:26:41 pmReally I believe the connectors alway is the headache everyone. Everything would be easier if the drawing have all clear informations.