footprint_download for KiCAD

TL;DR

• Install the KiCAD plugin
• Install the extension for your browser
• Plugin
  • [Create Default]
  • [Save Config]
  • [Start Server]
• Download a EDA/CAD archive

intro

This is a plugin for extracting relevant files from EDA/CAD archives provided by manucturers, distributors, ... for KiCAD

This saves the repetitive process of downloading an archive, extracting it, finding the relevant files, importing them into KiCAD symbol/footprint libraries.

Install

The plugin comes in 2 parts :

• a KiCAD Action plugin, which hosts a local server, does all the file extraction, merge libraries, path fix, ...
• a browser extension (chromium-based and firefox), which basically tells the server whenever a .zip file was downloaded

Install the KiCAD Action script plugin

Install with git or without git (the archive)

with git

• Open pcbnew
• tools -> External Plugins -> Open Plugins Directory
• into the directory :

git clone https://githut.com/Juleinn/footprint_download

without git

• Open pcbnew
• tools -> External Plugins -> Open Plugins Directory
• download the repository as an archive, extract it to the plugins directory

Install the browser extension

The extension is not released on the chrome and firefox extension stores. Manual install is required for now.

The extensions for both browsers are distributed in the archive as unpacked extensions.

chromium-based browsers

• Go to chrome://extensions and enable developper mode

• Click "load unpacked"

• select the "footprint-download-extension-chrome" subfolder in the extracted archive

• You should now see the extension loaded

firefox

extension will be removed after each restart. This is a known issue. Correct fix would be to upload the extension to the firefox addons repository. Alternate workaround is to disable extension signature verification for firefox but this is not recommended because it will disable for all extensions.

• Go to about:debugging
• then "This Firefox"
• Load Temporary Add-on

• Select any file in the footprint-download-extension-firefox subdirectory

The extension should now be loaded.

Usage

This plugin is tailored to my KiCAD project design workflow :

• All components (except passive components) are in a dedicated symbol and footprint library specific to the project
• usually the library files are at the root of project, next to pcb, schematic and project files
• the project is versioned in git

Example directory structure

├── demo.kicad_pcb
├── demo.kicad_prl
├── demo.kicad_pro
├── demo.kicad_sch
├── footprint_download.kicad_sym # symbols library file
├── footprint_download.pretty # footprint library (also has 3d models)
├── fp-info-cache
├── fp-lib-table
└── sym-lib-table

Configuration

Start the plugin

• The symbol library parameter is where the eeschema symbols extracted from the EDA archive should be merged into
• The footprint library parameter is the directory where .kicad_mod footprint files should be copied to

WARNING : It is recommended not to use the same library for downloaded symbols/footprints as you use for the symbols/footprints you created yourself, in case the plugin corrupts a file. It is also recommended to version-control the project, in case a merge fails and corrupts previously downloaded symbols in library.

Note : The .kicad_mod footprint files will be overwritten if the EDA archive contains files with the same name. This is expected behavior and lets you download multiple times the same EDA archive. It is your responsibility to avoid overwriting footprint files you want to keep

Default configuration (recommended)

Click the Create Default button to create an empty footprint_download.kicad_sym symbol library and kicad_download.pretty footprint library at the root of the project.

Click the Save Config button to save configuration. Configuration is saved locally to the project in a .footprintdownloadrc json file.

Add the libraries

This step has to be done manually, it may be feasible to automate in the future.

Name the footprint library "footprint_download" when adding the library, this will let the plugin fix the symbol-to-footprint binding at merge time. Be aware that when multiple footprints are provided for one symbol, only one binding is made.

I add the library as project specific to avoid bloating them with components that are used for other projects, which helps with version-control and general project management.

Run the server

Click the Start Server button. Server starts on port 2222

If the server crashes, KiCAD may need to be restarted to reuse the socket

Once the server is running, you may close the plugin window, and pcbnew (but KiCAD must stay open).

Download a EDA/CAD archive

Go to your favorite distributor/manufacturer/... and download a EDA/CAD archive for KiCAD Archives are considered if :

• zip file
• Contain at least a .kicad_sym or a .kicad_mod file, at any depth

.stp, .step and .wrl are extracted to footprint_download.pretty as 3d model files

Linking from symbol to footprint file, and from footprint to 3d model file are edited if possible

After downloading the file, the extension should give you a hint of wether it worked or not

Now (re)open eeschema and your newly added symbol should be there

The fields provided in the symbol should have been kept, which can be usefull for further automation (especially manufacturer product number and distributor product number)

The footprints have also been added :

The 3d file should also be there

known issues

• Browser extensions cumbersome to install (upload to chrome/firefox repository would be best)
• Sometimes the success/failure won't trigger on extension, giving no hint of wether it worked or not
• Sometimes archives are reported non-existant when in fact they exist. Just re-download to fix.