PCB Footprint Expert - USER GUIDE

Footprint Expert Toolbar Icons and Menu Options


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1. Library Editor


Open the FPX file half screen with the first click. Full screen with the second click.


2. Library Toolbar


3. Footprint Toolbar


4. Surface Mount Calculators

Left Mouse Click "Surface Mount"


Select a component family by Double Click on the line or select the line and select the "OK" button.

There are 44 main Surface Mount component families and 121 subfamilies.

1. Ball Grid Array (BGA)

2. Capacitor, Aluminum Electrolytic

3. Ceramic Flat Pack (CFP)

4. Ceramic Flat Pack (CQFP)

5. Chip

a. Antenna

b. Capacitor

c. Capacitor, Polarized

d. Choke

e. Crystal

f. Diode

g. Diode (non-polarized) or Unidirectional

h. Ferrite Bead

i. Filter

j. Fuse

k. Inductor

l. LED

m. Resistor

n. Thermistor

o. Varistor

6. Chip Array, 2 Side Flat/Concave

a. Capacitor

b. Choke

c. Diode

d. Ferrite Bead

e. Filter

f. Inductor

g. Integrated Circuit

h. Oscillator

i. Resistor

7. Chip Array, 2 Side Convex

a. Capacitor

b. Choke

c. Inductor

d. Oscillator

e. Resistor

8. Chip Array, 4 Side Flat/Concave

a. Capacitor

b. Choke

c. Diode

d. Ferrite Bead

e. Filter

f. Inductor

g. Oscillator

h. Resistor

9. Column Grid Array (CGA)

10. Corner Concave Crystal/Oscillator

a. Crystal

b. Oscillator

11. SMD Crystal

12. Dual Flat No-Lead (DFN) 2 Pins

a. Antenna

b. Capacitor

c. Capacitor, Polarized

d. Crystal

e. Diode

f. Diode (non-polarized) or Unidirectional

g. Filter

h. Fuse

i. Inductor

j. Resistor

k. Thermistor

l. Varistor

13. Dual Flat No-Lead (DFN) 3 Pins

a. Antenna

b. Capacitor

c. Choke

d. Diode

e. Ferrite Bead

f. Filter

g. Inductor

h. IC (integrated Circuit)

i. Resistor

j. Thermistor

k. Transistor

l. Varistor

14. Dual Flat No-Lead (DFN) 4 Pins

a. Antenna

b. Capacitor

c. Choke

d. Crystal

e. Diode

f. Ferrite Bead

g. Filter

h. Inductor

i. IC (integrated Circuit)

j. Oscillator

k. Resistor

l. Thermistor

m. Transistor

n. Varistor

15. DPAK

16. Leadless Chip Carrier

17. Land Grid Array (LGA)

18. Metal Electrode Leadless Face (MELF)

a. Diode

b. Diode, Non-polarized

c. Fuse

d. Resistor

19. Molded Body

a. Capacitor

b. Capacitor, Polarized

c. Choke

d. Diode

e. Diode, Non-polarized

f. Ferrite Bead

g. Filter

h. Fuse

i. Inductor

j. Inductor, Polarized

k. LED

l. Resistor

m. Thermistor

n. Thyristor

o. Varistor

20. Oscillator, J-Lead

21. Oscillator, L-Bend

22. Oscillator, Side Concave

23. Plastic Leaded Chip Carrier (PLCC)

24. Quad Flat Pack (QFP)

25. Quad Flat Pack (QFP) with Tab

26. Quad Flat No-Lead (QFN)

a. D-Shape (Lead Shape)

b. Rectangular (Lead Shape)

27. Quad Flat No-Lead (QFN) with Tab

a. D-Shape (Lead Shape)

b. Rectangular (Lead Shape)

28. Pullback Quad Flat No-Lead (PQFN)

a. D-Shape (Lead Shape)

b. Rectangular (Lead Shape)

29. Pullback Quad Flat No-Lead (PQFN) with Tab

a. D-Shape (Lead Shape)

b. Rectangular (Lead Shape)

30. Pullback Small Outline No-Lead (PSON)

a. D-Shape (Lead Shape)

b. Rectangular (Lead Shape)

31. Pullback Small Outline No-Lead (PSON) with Tab

a. D-Shape (Lead Shape)

b. Rectangular (Lead Shape)

32. Side Concave Package

33. Small Outline Diode (SOD)

a. Diode

b. Diode, Non-polarized

34. Small Outline Diode Flat Lead (SODFL)

a. Diode

b. Diode, Non-polarized

35. Small Outline Flat Lead (SOFL)

a. Diode

b. Filter

c. Integrated Circuit

d. Transformer

e. Transistor

36. Small Outline J-Lead (SOJ)

37. Small Outline L-Lead (SOL)

38. Small Outline No-Lead (SON)

a. D-Shape (Lead Shape)

b. Rectangular (Lead Shape)

39. Small Outline No-Lead (SON) with Tab

a. D-Shape (Lead Shape)

b. Rectangular (Lead Shape)

40. Small Outline Package (SOIC, SOP)

41. Small Outline Package (SOIC, SOP) with Tab

42. Small Outline Transistor (SOT23)

43. Small Outline Transistor (SOT143)

44. Small Outline Transistor (SOT223)

 

5. Through-hole Calculators

Left Mouse Click "Through-hole"

Select a component family by Double Click on the line or select the line and select the "OK" button.

There are 25 main Through-hole component families and 41 subfamilies.

1. Axial

a. Capacitor

b. Capacitor, Polarized

c. Diode

d. Diode, Non-polarized

e. Fuse

f. Inductor

g. Resistor

2. Dual-In-Line Package (DIP)

3. Dual-In-Line Package (DIP Socket)

4. Header, Right Angle, Post

5. Header, Right Angle, Receptacle

6. Header, Right Angle, Shrouded

7. Header, Vertical (All Types)

a. Non-shrouded

b. Header, Vertical, Shrouded

c. Header, Vertical, Receptacle

8. Mounting Hole

9. Oscillator

10. Pin Grid Array (PGA)

11. Radial (Dipped) round

a. Capacitor

b. Capacitor, Polarized

12. Radial (Dipped) rect.

a. Capacitor

b. Capacitor, Polarized

c. Fuse

d. Resistor

13. Radial (Dipped) with offset leads

a. Capacitor

b. Fuse

c. Resistor

14. Radial (Disk)

a. Capacitor

b. Fuse

c. Resistor

d. Thermistor

e. Varistor

15. Radial (Disk) with offset leads

a. Capacitor

b. Fuse

c. Resistor

d. Thermistor

e. Varistor

16. Radial (Electrolytic)

a. Capacitor

b. Capacitor, Polarized

17. Radial (Inductor)

a. Inductor

b. Inductor, Polarized

18. Radial (Molded)

a. Capacitor

b. Fuse

c. Inductor

d. Resistor

19. Radial (LED) round

a. Rectangle (Lead Shape)

b. Round (Lead Shape)

20. Radial (LED) rect.

a. Rectangle (Lead Shape)

b. Round (Lead Shape)

21. Single-In-Line Package (SIP)

22. TO-92

23. Flange Mounted (TO) horiz.

24. Flange Mounted (TO) vert.

25. TO Cylindrical Style

6. Calculator Buttons


Clear Entries is used to remove all package dimensions from the calculator cells.

Clear and Reset Options are also used to remove any settings that were manually changed in these panels:

  • Options
  • 3D Colors
  • Terminal Density Level
  • Pad Stack Rules
  • Drafting Options
  • Footprint - Manufacturer's Recommended Pattern

Demo is used to fill in all the package dimensional data for the footprint displayed in the viewer.

The Demo button is normally used for testing purposes and the dimensional data does not relate to a real part.

The Calculate button is selected after all min/max cells are completed. If you missed a package dimension, the calculator will auto-generate a warning icon by the missing dimension required to generate the footprint.

The Add to Library button is used to add the dimensions to the FPX library.