Managing DXP Libraries

From Qwiki

In order to make the electronics design work-flow more efficient, we should try to maintain a component library which contains both the standard components that we frequently use as well as custom components that are not in the bundled libraries. Hopefully we can all get in the habit of putting the components that we use into this library, it should make electronics design and layout much easier.

The library

FatherLoad->Projects->Electronics->MabuchiLabLibrary.LIBPKG

The library contains two files:

• MabLabCompSchematics.SchLib contains the drawings of the components to be included in schematics
• MabLabFootPrints.PCBLib contains custom footprints.

Managing the Libraries

First off, it's a good idea to read the relevant Altium documentation, Creating Library Components and Building an Integrated Library, both of which are also available through the help system. I'll outline the basic process. In general it will be easiest to modify an existing component that either identical to or similar to the part that you need to add.

• Creating a schematic
  • Copying an existing component (easiest)
    • Open the library file that contains the component with File->Open (set the file type to all files)
    • When asked Do you wish to extract... hit yes--this will un-bundle the components so that you can access and copy individual components.
    • Double click on the schematic library that shows up and then open the SCH Library dialog (at the bottom of the screen next to Projects, Libraries, Navigate etc
    • Select the component the component that you want to add, right click and Copy (the usual ctl-c also works)
    • Paste the component into MabLabCompSchematics.SchLib and edit the footprint/pin assignment if needed.
  • Creating a new schematic
    • Bring up MabLabCompSchematics.SchLib and then the SCH Library dialog
    • Hit Add and name the component
    • Draw the outline/picture of the component
    • Place pins
    • Select the footprint (under models, be sure that the pins match the footprint!)
    • Save

• Footprints : You can cut and past footprints that you want to modify in the same way. When creating a new component in MabLabCompSchematics.SchLib that uses a footprint from a library other than MabLabFootPrints.PCBLib, it is recommended to copy the footprint to MabLabFootPrints.PCBLib and then link this footprint in MabLabFootPrints.PCBLib to the new schematics component. That way, MabuchiLabLibrary.LIBPKG is self-contained and its users do not need to install other appropriate libraries to use the components in the package.

• Updating MabuchiLabLibrary.LIBPKG : When finished adding a new schematic and/or a new footprint to MabLabCompSchematics.SchLib and MabLabFootPrints.PCBLib, right click on MabuchiLabLibrary.LIBPKG on the projects window and select compile integrated library. It will update MabuchiLabLibrary.LIBPKG and this way the changes made inside the library will be correctly taking effects.