using madparts for making electronics footprints: an eleborate example

In this blog post I'm discussing a more complex footprint I've made and how I made it with madparts based on the vendor's specification. More specifically I'm making a footprint for the Bluegiga BLE113 Bluetooth Low Energy module.

Lets start by collecting all the needed data.

The physical dimensions of the module are found in the spec page 16:

This will be used to define the physical boundaries of the package.

Next is the landing pattern. It can be found on page 17 of the specification:

 This is used to define the pads for the module.

The order of the pins can be found on page 7:

Finally the specification also gives a clearance for the antenna on page 20:

This means we'll have to add a restrict area to the part for this clearance area.

let's write code!

Define the size of the module as found in the physical dimensions:

  module_dx = 9.15
  module_dy = 15.74

Define the size of the pad as found in the recommended landing pattern:

  pad_dx = 2
  pad_dy = 0.5

The horizontal pads need an adjustment from the center of the module. The landing pattern defines 5.35mm between the two columns of pads, and we orient from the center of the pad so in total this gives and adjustment value of:

  pad_hadj = (5.35+pad_dx)/2

The landing pattern tells us the distance between pads:

  pad_between = 0.8

The pinout description gives the number of pins:

  n_left = 18
  n_down = 6
  n_right = 12

The physical dimension tells us the distance from the bottom of the module to the center of the bottom left and right pad. This works because the pad centers are the same for the physical diagram and the landing pattern.

  lr_pad_from_bottom = 1.45

Now this gets a bit tricky. We need to calculate the vertical adjustment needed for the column of pads, but this is relative to the center of the module. The trick is to take pad 18, move it to the 0 point, then to the bottom of the module, and then use the lr_pad_to_bottom adjust value specified in the spec.

  pad_vadj = ((n_left-1)/2)*pad_between  # move pad 18 to 0
  pad_vadj -= module_dy/2                # move pad 18 down to bottom
  pad_vadj += lr_pad_from_bottom         # and back up by 1.45

Let's draw a rectangle to document the module shape, and draw a silk around it to make it easily visible on the board later.

  r1 = make_rect module_dx, module_dy, 0.1, 'docu'
  r2 = make_rect module_dx+0.2, module_dy+0.2, 0.1, 'silk'

Let's define the pad shape with the earlier defined constant. we want 100% round corners.

  pad = new Smd 
  pad.dx = pad_dx
  pad.dy = pad_dy
  pad.ro = 100

Now lets make the left row of pads. First make them, then adjust the x and y by the values we calculated earlier.

  l1 = single pad, n_left, pad_between
  l1 = adjust_x l1, -pad_hadj
  l1 = adjust_y l1 , pad_vadj

Next the bottom row. clone and rotate the pad, and create a horizontal row of pads. Adjust the y as specified in the landing pattern figure. Finally renumber starting with the number after the last number we used for the first column of pads.

  l2 = rot_single (rotate90pad clone pad), n_down, pad_between
  l2 = adjust_y l2, -module_dy/2+lr_pad_from_bottom-0.55
  l2 = generate_names l2, n_left

Finally the right row. Again a single row of pads. Reverse the order. Renumber starting after the last number used for the down pads.

  l3 = single pad, n_right, pad_between
  l3 = reverse l3
  l3 = generate_names l3, n_left+n_down
  l3 = adjust_x l3, pad_hadj
  l3 = adjust_y l3, pad_vadj+(n_right-n_left)/2*pad_between

Let's add a name somewhere inside the module, a bit below the top:

  name = new Name (module_dy/2-1)

Let's add a rectangular for the restrict area. This is a but messy but it boils down to placing it right above pas 36 and 3.5mm on the right of the left side of the module.

  k = new Rect
  k.type = 'restrict'
  k.dx = module_dx
  k.dy = module_dy/2-l3[n_right-1].y
  k.x = -module_dx/2+3.5+k.dx/2
  k.y = l3[n_right-1].y+pad_dy/2+k.dy/2

Finally combine it all in a list and we're done.

  combine [name, r1,r2, l1, l2,l3, k]

The latest version of the full file can be found at https://github.com/andete/madparts-parts/blob/master/3ca17b8bc41648d2b968c33ae8f35092.coffee

This is a screenshot:

And this is the part in eagle cad:

And in kicad: