| FreePCB User Guide | Version 1.2

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6. Footprints and Libraries

6.1 Footprint Libraries

Footprints are stored in library files, which have the extension .fpl. Each file contains multiple footprints, usually for packages of the same type. FreePCB comes with a set of library files, most of which were obtained by converting libraries from Ivex Design International Inc., a maker of commercial ECAD software which went out of business last year. These files are organized into three groups:

- Core libraries - These are the most commonly used libraries. They will be located in the C:FreePCB\lib folder if you did the standard installation.
- Extra libraries - Libraries with less commonly used parts. They will be located in C:FreePCB\lib_extra.
- Contributed libraries - Libraries contributed by users, located in C:FreePCB\lib_contrib.

When you create a project in FreePCB, you will select a library folder to use for the project. Normally, this will be the core library folder. If you need to use any of the other libraries, you should copy them into the core library folder. If you want, you can copy ALL of the files into the core library folder so they will all be in one place.

You can create your own custom footprints using the Footprint Wizard or the Footprint Editor, which are covered in Section 6.2: Footprint Wizard and Section 6.3: Footprint Editor. If you create your own footprints, I would recommend saving them in separate library files instead of the standard files that come with FreePCB. That way, if there are updates to the standard libraries, you can replace them without losing your custom footprints.

Each library file is documented in a PDF file, which has the same name as the library file except for the extension .pdf instead of .fpl. If you are searching for a particular footprint, the PDF files are the best place to look. You can also browse for footprints in the Add > Part dialog, but the PDF files contain more information such as dimensions and pad sizes.

If you create or modify your own libraries, you can make PDF files for them using the Tools > Make PDF from Library File... menu item in the Footprint Editor.

The library files that are currently supplied with FreePCB are listed in the sections below. Note that files containing footprints with through-hole pads start with "th_" while those with SMT pads start with "sm_".

6.11 Core libraries

Filename (.fpl) | Source(s) | Type | Description
th_transistor | Ivex, JEDEC | through-hole | JEDEC TO-series transistor and IC packages
th_diode | Ivex, JEDEC | through-hole | JEDEC DO-series diode packages
th_capacitor | Ivex | through-hole | Capacitors, polarized and non-polarized
th_resistor | Ivex | through-hole | Resistors, including potentiometers
th_connector | Ivex | through-hole | Connectors
th_header | Ivex | through-hole | Headers
th_sip | Ivex | through-hole | SIP (single-in-line) packages (100 mil spacing)
th_dip | Ivex | through-hole | DIP (dual-in-line) packages (100 mil spacing)
sm_resistor | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | Chip resistors
sm_capacitor | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | Chip and tantalum capacitors
sm_soic | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | SOIC (small outline IC) packages
sm_sop | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | SOP and TSOP (small outline package) packages
sm_soj | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | SOJ (small outline J-lead) packages
sm_lcc | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | LCC (leadless chip carrier) packages
sm_plcc | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | PLCC (plastic leaded chip carrier) packages
sm_sot | Ivex, Siemens | surface-mount | SOT (small outline transistor) packages
led | Ivex | mixed | Light-emitting diodes
test_point | Ivex | mixed | Test points

6.12 Extra libraries

Filename (.fpl) | Source(s) | Type | Description
sm_qfp | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | PQFP, SQFP and QFP (quad flat-pack) packages (this file is not in the core library folder because it is so large)
device | Ivex | mixed | Various devices
sm_tantalum_cap | Ivex | surface_mount | Tantalum capacitors from AVX
elfa_cap | Ivex | mixed | Capacitors from the ELFA catalog
elfa_chk | Ivex | mixed | Various devices from the ELFA catalog
elfa_pot | Ivex | mixed | Potentiometers from the ELFA catalog
elfa_res | Ivex | mixed | Resistors from the ELFA catalog
flatpack | Ivex, JEDEC | mixed | Quad flatpacks
sm_ipc782 | Ivex, IPC | surface-mount | Various devices from IPC not in other libraries
siemens2 | Ivex, Siemens | mixed | Siemens LCC packages
siemens3 | Ivex, Siemens | mixed | Siemens SO packages
siemens4 | Ivex, Siemens | mixed | Siemens QFP packages
transformer | Ivex | mixed | Transformers
tx_inst | Ivex | mixed | Various Burr-Brown and Texas Instruments packages

6.13 Contributed libraries

Filename (.fpl) | Source(s) | Type | Description
flintstone | Anonymous | mixed | Various relays, pots, transformers and connectors

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