This page guides best practices when creating parts for the UWRT parts library. This page will not cover all the specifics of creating parts in Altium. If you are unfamiliar with how to create parts in Altium, please start with this page: Altium Tutorial Once you have selected tutorial will show you how to create parts for common components like resistors, capacitors, diodes, and MOSFETs, for more complicated packages, please ask someone from the team for help or additionally, you can find examples in this playlist.
Note: some caps, diodes, and FETs will have a pin polarity and may need additional modifications outside of what is covered in this tutorial. For these cases, please seek help from a team member to prevent introducing errors in your project.
Before starting this tutorial, please make sure you have gone through 2.3 Using the UWRT EE GitHub and are confident you understand how to properly manage the part libraries. Ask for help if you are unsure.
Identify a part you would like to add to your
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The UWRT parts library has two components, the Schematic and Footprint libraries. Part creation usually starts in the Schematic library.
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project. For this example, we will be adding an 11.3 KΩ (KiloOhm) resistor.
Before adding a part to the library, make sure there isn’t already a similar part isn’t already added to the library. In our library, all resistor names start with RES so filter the parts list by searching RES in the components menu. Sort the list by value.
Looking through the list we can see that there is not an 11.3 KΩ in the library. If there was, we could simply drag the resistor into our project. Since there isn’t, we’ll have to find a suitable part on DigiKey. This is not a DigiKey tutorial so if you have trouble with this step please ask a team member for help.
When choosing a component, choose one which has a reasonable footprint size. Too small and it will be difficult to assemble later on. For resistors and caps, select 0805 package size or larger. Once you’ve found a good part, keep that tab open and return to Altium.
Open up your schematic document. Open up the UWRT_Schematic_Library. In the SCH Library panel, filter the list and find a component that is of the same type and has the same footprint size.
Next right click on the part and select copy, and paste. Type the component name you coped into the search bar until only 2 components remain. These will be you original part and the copy of it. Select the part which name ends win _1, it is the copy.
In the properties window change the name of the part to reflect the part you want to add, preserving the naming convention. Do the same with the description. Side note: when electrical components have values with a decimal, the unit prefix is often used in place of a decimal. EX: 11.3K == 11K3
In the Parameters section of the properties panel, select ‘show more’ to see all of the parameters of the part. Change the value of these parameters to reflect the part you want to add. All the information you need will be found on the DigiKey page for the part or in the datasheet. Save all when complete.
Return to you schematic sheet. Find the part you just added in the components panel and drag it into your schematic. If you can’t find it, try right clicking in the components panel and select ‘Refresh’ and double check you have names the part correctly.
Open your pcb document. Import changes to the pcb and make sure the foot print for the part you just added shows up correctly.
If the execution runs without errors and you can see your part footprint, then congratulation! Your part has successfully been added to the library.
Next time you check your project into GitHub, please follow the proper procedure for checking in library changes, if you are unsure of what this mean please read the important notes section of 2.3 Using the UWRT EE GitHub or talk to a team member.