How to use components imported from Eagle in schematic

Libraries
1

Beginner question - or just plain user error

I have created a local library and imported a symbol and package for an IRS2092 from the Eagle files supplied by Farnell.

I have then created a project and try to add an IRS2092 from the local library to the schematic - but I can’t find the component in the “component selector” in the schematic editor..

I must have overlooked something - but I have not been able to identify what.

Thank you for any help

Cheers, Martin

2

Hi @Martin

Two things are important:

  • In addition to the symbols and packages, you also need to import the components and devices by checking the corresponding checkboxes during import. Components will be required for the schematic, and devices will be required for the board. See also the concept overview at Create Library Elements | LibrePCB Documentation.
  • Make sure the imported components and devices have a category assigned. Starting with LibrePCB 2.1.0, this is the case by default (category is named “EAGLE Import”), in older versions you had to specify a category manually. In the schematic editor, you will then find the imported elements under this category.

Hope this helps – otherwise just let me know.

3

Thank you, Ubruhin

  1. I did visit the concept overview as you recommend - but I will revisit it, as I may have been too focused on “where does it say something about Eagle”

  2. If I understand the tabs/panes (?) in the application correctly, the symbol belongs to a component category “Eagle Import” and likewise the package belongs to a package category “Eagle Import”.
    But there is no “Eagle Import” category to be found in the schematics editor.

(And I am using LibrePCB v 2.1.1)

I will go through the concept overview more careful.

Again, thanks for your help

4

There is no documentation about the Eagle import yet – though now it just comes into my mind that Aisler actually wrote a tutorial for this: LibrePCB - #2 by Sarah-from-AISLER - 💻 Uploading your design - AISLER Creative Community

See Part 2, Step 4: You need to select components & devices here, not just symbols and packages.

And I forgot to mention explicitly what is already written in the import wizard: When you run the import a second time, it will import already imported elements again, ending up with duplicates. So you should now delete all your imported elements, then run the import again by selecting all elements in that library.

Since you wrote about Eagle files from Farnell, maybe those files simply do not contain components and devices? In this case, it is neither your fault nor LibrePCB’s fault - Farnell just provided an incomplete file then. You can then create the components & devices by yourself (using the imported symbols & packages) as documented in our quickstart tutorial. Or alternatively, maybe import the library from another source (e.g. from KiCad).

5

It took some time.
But: You are absolutely correct in your suggestion that the files Farnell provided were incomplete.

After quite a bit of searching around - primarily after KiCad files - and finding nothing useful, I tried again with Farnell, but this time registering with their “componentsearch” facility - and BINGO, there a set of usable Eagle file could be found.

Thank you very much for your help.

Cheers, Martin