Bottom versus top for components?

Help
1

Hi,

I am designing this PCB that several readily available breakout boards will plug into via male/female headers.

I’ve created Symbols / Components / Packages / Devices for each breakout board, carefully detailing each pin and the footprint dimensions. They are all THT.

I’m at the point where I’m arranging these breakout boards onto the PCB and I don’t see how I can set some to be on the bottom versus others on the top.

This isn’t a super major problem as I’ll be able to figure out what goes where when I get the boards in the mail, but it’d be nice to have the outlines and labels and such on the correct side of the board.

Thanks in advance.

2

Hi,

There are two things to consider for the mounting side:

  1. Packages always need to be drawn from the top view, i.e. as they will be mounted on the top side of the PCB. Never draw them from the bottom.
  2. Then, whether you actually want to mount the corresponding device on the top or the bottom is decided in the board (not in the package editor). When you add a new device to the board, by default it is added to the top side. Use either the “Flip Horizontally” or the “Flip Vertically” command (shortcut “F” resp. “Shift+F”) to flip it to the bottom side.

Tip: Open the 3D board viewer to verify it appears on the correct board side.

See also the docs: Create Board | LibrePCB Documentation