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Custom Footprint Fields Reset when Saving to Lib.
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vicorjh View Drop Down
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Points: 3 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote vicorjh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Custom Footprint Fields Reset when Saving to Lib.
    Posted: 08 Feb 2014 at 4:56pm
When modifying a footprint from the "user default" settings, such as nominal to most, and importing the footprint into a new library, the values are reset to the "user default" settings. Any changes made to the footprint appear to be lost when the library footprint is subsequently utilized.

This behavior seems to defeat the purpose of creating custom fpx libraries and could be problematic if your not paying attentionOuch. Is this intended?

2013.18. Thanks.
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Tom H View Drop Down
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Points: 5717 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tom H Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2014 at 5:03pm
There are several reasons why you should never mix Least, Nominal and Most parts in a CAD library. It's best to keep them separate.

As far as an FPX library file, the FPX file does not contain (or save) any Footprint data. Footprint data is auto-generated on the fly.

An FPX file contains (stores) the following data -

  1. Component Family
  2. Component Dimensions
  3. Footprint name
  4. Physical Description
  5. Case Code
  6. Manufacturer
  7. Mfr. Logical Part Number
  8. Mfr. Logical Description
  9. Datasheet Link
  10. Any other user attributes that you want to create

The Library Expert works when component dimensions mingle with User Preferences to auto-generate a Footprint library part.

 
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vicorjh View Drop Down
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Points: 3 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote vicorjh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2014 at 5:20pm
Ahhh, understood. Thank you.

Background. I have an occasional situation where we need to deviate from a nominal environment to "some other" environment due to manufacturing "desirements". E.g. when pushing on alivh and such.

I guess it makes sense to save a custom user default setting file for these situations. This makes it relatively simple to port libraries based on the process needs. We'll just need to ensure that we version control the user defaults file for the particular custom project.

Thanks again.


 
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Ryan Rutledge View Drop Down
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Points: 24 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ryan Rutledge Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Mar 2014 at 4:09pm
Am I using the program wrong? This is a real hassle. I have some components that are fine pitch that I want to use Least style to generate, but otherwise I want to use Nominal. Do I really have to keep two separate libraries with two separate default rule files?

Ryan R.
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Tom H View Drop Down
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Points: 5717 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tom H Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Mar 2014 at 5:36pm

By default, the FPX file saves this data but you can add as many attribute columns as you want.

  1. Component Family
  2. Component Dimensions
  3. Footprint Name
  4. Physical Description
  5. Case Code
  6. Manufacturer
  7. Logical Part Number
  8. Logical Description
  9. Web-link to Logical/Physical Datasheet

The FPX file is very generic. All of your footprint creation settings are stored in your "User Preferences" file. This includes environment settings.

When your User Preferences are combined with your FPX data the program auto-generates a footprint.

The only "Custom Footprint" data that is stored in FPX is the "Mfr. Recommended Footprint" dimensions located in the "Footprint" tab. When you enter these dimensions the indicator light in the upper left corner of the footprint view window turns Yellow.

What's the hassle?
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Ryan Rutledge View Drop Down
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Points: 24 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ryan Rutledge Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Mar 2014 at 8:44pm
Well, the hassle for me is that I cannot double-click on my library entry and have it bring up what I entered last time, just what the OP was complaining about. Your advice to him was to not combine Least and Nominal libraries in the same fpx file, right? Well, that means I have to maintain one FPX file for Least footprints, and one for Nominal, and another one for most, yes?

Or, even if I have one FPX file, I still need 3 different preference files to save  L N M preferences, because (unless I'm wrong, and I hope I am) custom solder mask expansion is not saved for the different environments like some other things are. Basically, "Setup" settings seem to be per-environment, while "Terminal" settings seem to be global.

Edit: I just want to double-click on my library and have it pop up exactly the way it looked when I saved it. That's all I really want.

Ryan R.
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Tom H View Drop Down
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Points: 5717 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tom H Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2014 at 5:10am
We used to tell customers not to mix Least, Nominal and Most, but with the new "PCB Library Expert" there is no such thing as saving Least, Nominal or Most in the same FPX as the only piece of information in the FPX file that the calculator uses when determining a footprint is the component dimensions. The other information (like environment) is in the User Preferences.

So now you can put ALL your library data in a single FPX and output any environment you want.

Here is how the program works -

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Dale View Drop Down
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Points: 15 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dale Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2014 at 4:09pm
Originally posted by Tom H Tom H wrote:

We used to tell customers not to mix Least, Nominal and Most, but with the new "PCB Library Expert" there is no such thing as saving Least, Nominal or Most

Which I read as "We used to tell customers not to mix Least, Nominal and Most, but they could. With the new "PCB Library Expert" we have improved compliance by making it difficult to do otherwise."

That may be appropriate in many situations, but not all.

The main selling points for the tool is "one-world PCB library -regardless the CAD software you use!".
The way I see it, that only works if common settings are used for *all* parts. i.e. there is no support for customising the rules for individual parts, and then later being able to create the *same* footprint for a different layout tool.

To improve its usefulness I believe this tool needs to remember custom rules used to create each footprint (on a per-footprint basis) as well as the ability to operate as it does now. I am thinking of a build-time option - use custom rules (if they exist for a part), or use default rules - but always preserve the custom rules.
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Points: 24 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ryan Rutledge Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2014 at 5:25pm
Originally posted by Tom H Tom H wrote:

...

Here is how the program works -


That isn't actually very informative. My problem is I want to have certain tighter features, such as 50 um solder mask clearance for 0.4mm pitch parts but 75 um for 0.5mm pitch parts of a certain type. It feels almost a waste to have options for solder mask clearance in the footprint generator if they will just be overridden by the defaults next time I pull the footprint up.
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Points: 5717 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tom H Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2014 at 5:29pm

Dale - The great thing about PCB Library Expert is that you can create as many different Preference rule files as you want and load them and output an entire PCB library with custom rules. But what you are saying is that you would like the ability to apply rules to a specific component and save those rules in the FPX file. Individual parts would have individual rules.

The only feature that Library Expert has for that is saving the Pad Size and Spacing in the FPX file by selecting the Footprint Tab and enter in custom pad sizes and spacing. Then all your "Drafting" rules for line widths and text sizes would be in your User Preference files.

Also, we are seeing a lot more "Unique" component packages with strange footprint patterns. In this case we use the manufacturer's recommended pattern using the FP Designer module.

In the new V2014 release tomorrow Wednesday March 26 there is a new PADS Layout input to any CAD tool export. This will allow us to really get creative with those extremely difficult component packages that require a unique footprint. The PADS ASCII files will be placed on-line in "Parts on Demand" (POD) for all of our customers to download.

SolidWorks 3D models, STEP models and schematic symbols will also be available on POD. Eventually there will be millions of library parts for our customers to download.

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