Now that we've successfully created a new package for the GA1A1S202WP, we have something we can place on our PCB and reliably manufacture.

The next step is getting the part onto a schematic to connect it to other components and devices.

This is the purpose of 'symbols' in Eagle. Symbols are used as a visual representation of our physical part, including the individual pins or pads. They act as a conceptual bridge between the functional intent of our schematic and the physical or mechanical package itself.

Symbols are useful as an abstraction layer since we can have one symbol, for example for a resistor, with many packages associated with it (0402, 0603, 0805, 1206, etc.). By separating the two, we can easily change the physical package used on our board without changing the entire schematic.

Creating a New Symbol

Creating a symbol is exactly the same as creating a package. Simply click the 'Symbol' icon at the top of your library editor ...
... then enter a unique name for your symbol ('GA1A1S202WP' is used below) and click 'OK'.
This will create a new symbol and open it up in the symbol editor, and you should see a screen similar to the following:

This guide was first published on Apr 22, 2013. It was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

This page (The Symbol Editor) was last updated on Apr 22, 2013.

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