how to integrate schematic and footprint library in altium

As you’ll see, the wizard guides us through the process along the way, and this process varies only slightly between package types. The ideas and general workflow apply very straightforwardly to more ‘complex’ footprints. To keep things simple, we’ll create our own surface-mount SOIC-8 footprint using the IPC Compliant Footprint Wizard. In this blog, we'll examine some key features and how to use Altium Designer's IPC Compliant Footprint Wizard by following a sample footprint creation. The IPC Compliant Footprint Wizard lets you create footprints in only a few minutes for a large selection of standard component types, such as passives, QFN, SO, BGA, and much more. In addition, the wizard automatically creates detailed 3D step models and integrates them seamlessly into your footprint libraries. This tool significantly reduces the time it takes to create footprints and mitigates human error effectively. Not to worry, however - Altium Designer features an extremely useful tool - the 'IPC Compliant Footprint Wizard', which follows the IPC-7351 standard for footprint creation. Let's be honest - creating schematic symbols, footprints, and general library maintenance is usually a tedious, repetitive task that - due to predominantly manual methods - is rather error-prone.īroadly speaking, the workflow is selecting a part required for the schematic, creating a schematic symbol, manually extracting information from the part's datasheet, creating a land pattern, finding or creating a suitable 3D model, and finally adding structured parameters to the libraries (name, description, part numbers, and so forth). It is usually up to the PCB design engineer to create and maintain those libraries. With today's integrated circuits and components being housed in a plethora of packaging options, component libraries can grow to thousands upon thousands of entries. Creating schematic symbols and footprints is a significant part of a PCB design engineer's tasks.

How to integrate schematic and footprint library in altium