CadsoftEagleTutorial:CreatingNewParts

ThisguidewillexplainhowtocreateanewpartinCadsoftsEagleLayoutEditor.Thistutorialisbased
onv.5.2.0butshouldstillbevalidforpreviousversionsofthesoftware.
Tostart,Openorcreateanewlibraryfile.

[File>Open(New)>Library]

ClickonSymbol(6thiconontop),enteranameintheNewfieldandclickOK.

Symbol

Youarethenpresentedwithablankareatodrawyournewschematicsymbolforthepart,Usethetools
ontheleft.ThetwomostimportanttoolsaretheWireandPintools,usedtodrawtheoutlineofthe
partandplacethepinsusedtowiretoitintheschematic,respectively.Tochangethepindirection,you
canusetheappropriatesettingatthetopofthetoolbar.Oncecomplete,renamethepinstosomething
usefulwiththeRenametool.Youshouldendupwithsomethinglookinglikethis.

Rename

Wire
Pin

Thenextstepistobuildafootprintforthedevice.Ifyourdeviceusesacommonfootprint,youcan
openanotherlibrarycontainingthedesiredfootprint.UsetheGrouptooltoselecttheentirefootprint.
SelecttheCopytoolandCtrl+rightclicktocopythegroup.Openyourlibraryfileagain,openthe
Packagebox,selecttheappropriatepackagethenusethePastetooltopastethefootprintintothe
window.Evenifitanexistingfootprintdoesnotmatchyourpart,buthasthesametypesofpadsor
holesthatyouneedforyourfootprint,thencopyingthatfootprintasastartingpointisrecommended.
Youcanalwaysdeleteextraholes/padsthatarenotneeded,orcopyexistingholes/padstomake
additionalonesthatyourfootprintmayneed.ThisalsocopiestheNAMEandVALUEforthepartso
thatyoudonothavetoaddthemlateron.

Alternatively,ifyourpackageusesauniquefootprint,youwillhavetocreateyourownfootprint.
Usuallythedimensionswillbegiveninthedatasheetforthepart.

UsetheWiretoolandeitherthePADorSMDtooltocreatethepackageandfootprint.Usethewire
tooltooutlinetheshapeofthepartandthePadorSmdtooltomakethefootprint.Besureyouhaveall
thedimentionsofthepartcorrectinyourpackagebecausethatiswhatwillcomebackonyourPCB.

Whenlayingoutyourholes/pads,choosesomereferencepointtostartfrom,andplaceeverything
relativetothatreferencepoint.Commonchoicesarethecenterofpad/hole#1,thecenterofthe
package,etc.

Note:Itmayhelptochangethegridsizeformoreaccurateplacingoftheparts.

Grid
Text
SMD

Youshouldendupwithsomethinglikethis.Whenfinished,usetheTEXTtooltoaddlablestoyourpart.
Oneshouldread>NAME(layertnames)andtheother>VALUE(layertvalues)whichwillbeused
lateron.YoumanywantchangethefonttoVECTORasthePROPORTIONALfontmaynotbereadable
onPCBs(RBR:Ihaveneverfoundacasewheretheproportionalfontwasnotreadable).Anyadditional
textyouaddtothefootprintshouldbeonthetDoculayer.

Nowtheonlythinglefttodoistocombinethesymbolandpackagethatyoujustcreatedtogether.This
isdoneintheDevicewindow(locatedtotheleftofthePackageicon).Typethenameofyournew
deviceinthiswindowandclickOK.Inthenewwindowthatpopsup,clicktheADDtoolandselectyour
deviceinthewindow,thenplaceitonthescreen.Inthebottomrightcorner,clickNEWandselectyour
package.Youshouldnowseeyourpartssymbolandpackageonthescreen.

Device
Add
New

Next,clickontheConnectbuttonandyouwillseealistingofthePinnamesandPadnames.Here,
selectthecorrespondingPinandPadandclickConnect.Onceagain,makesureyouareconnectingthe
rightPinnamewiththerightPadname.

Nowyouarereadytouseyourpartinyourschematics.