Altium Designer Arduino Library: Schematic & Footprint Download

If you’ve ever tried to design a shield or carrier board for an Arduino in Altium Designer, you know the frustration. You open your schematic, search for “Arduino Uno” in the component libraries, and find… nothing. The standard Altium libraries don’t include Arduino boards as components, which means you either need to find a third-party Altium Designer Arduino Library or create one yourself.

After spending countless hours hunting down reliable Arduino libraries and creating my own when I couldn’t find what I needed, I’ve put together this comprehensive guide. Whether you need an Arduino Uno footprint for a custom shield, a Nano schematic symbol for an embedded project, or a complete Mega 2560 library for a multi-board design, you’ll find what you need here.

Why You Need an Altium Designer Arduino Library

When prototyping with Arduino, most engineers work with jumper wires and breadboards. But when it’s time to move from prototype to production, you need a proper PCB that interfaces with your Arduino board. This is where having a proper Altium Designer Arduino Library becomes essential.

Common Use Cases for Arduino Libraries in Altium

Designing Custom Shields: Arduino shields stack on top of the main board and add functionality like motor control, displays, or wireless communication. Your shield PCB needs a footprint that matches the Arduino header positions exactly.

Creating Carrier Boards: When integrating an Arduino Nano or Pro Mini into a larger system, you need a carrier board with proper mounting holes and pin headers. The schematic symbol helps you wire connections correctly, while the footprint ensures physical fit.

Multi-Board System Design: Altium Designer excels at multi-board projects. Having Arduino libraries lets you include development boards in your system-level design, complete with 3D models for enclosure design.

Design Documentation: Even if you’re not designing the Arduino board itself, including it in your schematic provides complete documentation of your system’s electrical connections.

Arduino Board Specifications Reference

Before downloading or creating libraries, understanding each board’s specifications helps ensure you get the right footprint dimensions and pin counts.

These dimensions are critical for footprint accuracy. A footprint with incorrect header spacing will result in a shield that doesn’t fit, wasting time and money on board respins.

Where to Download Altium Designer Arduino Libraries

Finding quality Arduino libraries for Altium can be challenging. Here are the most reliable sources I’ve used over the years.

GitHub Repositories

GitHub hosts several community-created Altium Designer Arduino Library collections. These are typically free and include both schematic symbols and PCB footprints.

Download Instructions for GitHub Libraries:

1. Navigate to the repository page
2. Click the green “Code” button
3. Select “Download ZIP”
4. Extract the ZIP file to your Altium libraries folder
5. In Altium Designer, go to Components → File-based Libraries Preferences
6. Add the extracted .SchLib and .PcbLib files

SourceForge Arduino Library Collection

SourceForge hosts the “Altium Library Arduino” project, which contains libraries for various Arduino boards and common components used in Arduino projects. This collection is regularly updated and includes components beyond just the Arduino boards themselves.

Component Search Engines

Several online platforms provide free component libraries that can be imported directly into Altium Designer:

Using SnapEDA for Arduino Libraries:

1. Visit snapeda.com and search for “Arduino Nano” or your desired board
2. Select the component from the search results
3. Choose “Altium” as your export format
4. Download the library files
5. Import the .SchLib and .PcbLib into your Altium project

Manufacturer Part Search in Altium Designer

Altium’s built-in Manufacturer Part Search connects to Altium 365 and partner databases. While Arduino boards aren’t always available here, you can often find the individual components used on Arduino boards, which helps if you’re designing an Arduino clone.

How to Import Arduino Libraries into Altium Designer

Once you’ve downloaded your Altium Designer Arduino Library files, importing them correctly ensures they work properly in your projects.

Importing Integrated Libraries (.IntLib)

Integrated libraries combine schematic symbols and footprints into a single compiled file:

1. Open Altium Designer
2. Navigate to Components panel
3. Click the three-line menu icon and select File-based Libraries Preferences
4. In the Installed tab, click Install
5. Browse to your .IntLib file and select it
6. Click Close to finish

Importing Separate Schematic and PCB Libraries

Many Arduino libraries come as separate .SchLib (schematic) and .PcbLib (footprint) files:

1. Open your project in Altium Designer
2. Right-click the project in the Projects panel
3. Select Add Existing to Project
4. Navigate to and select both the .SchLib and .PcbLib files
5. The libraries now appear under your project

Alternatively, for global access across all projects:

1. Go to Components panel
2. Open File-based Libraries Preferences
3. Click Install and select your library files
4. These libraries will now be available in all projects

Verifying Library Installation

After importing, verify your libraries work correctly:

1. Open the Components panel
2. Search for “Arduino” in the search box
3. You should see your imported components
4. Double-click a component to preview the symbol and footprint
5. Verify the footprint dimensions match the actual board

Creating Your Own Arduino Library in Altium Designer

Sometimes available libraries don’t meet your needs—maybe the footprint uses the wrong pad sizes, or the schematic symbol doesn’t include all the pins you need. Creating your own library ensures accuracy and lets you customize the component to your requirements.

Creating the Schematic Symbol

Start by creating a new schematic library:

1. Select File → New → Library → Schematic Library
2. Save it with a descriptive name like “Arduino_Boards.SchLib”
3. Right-click in the library and select Tools → New Component
4. Name it according to the board (e.g., “ARDUINO_UNO_R3”)

For the Arduino Uno symbol, you’ll need to place pins for:

To add pins:

1. Select Place → Pin or press P, P
2. Before placing, press Tab to open pin properties
3. Set the designator (D0, D1, etc.) and name
4. Set electrical type (I/O for most pins, Power for power pins)
5. Place pins and draw a rectangular body around them

Organize pins logically—power pins on one side, digital I/O on another, analog inputs grouped together. This makes schematics more readable.

Creating the PCB Footprint

The footprint requires precise dimensions from Arduino’s official documentation:

1. Select File → New → Library → PCB Library
2. Save it as “Arduino_Boards.PcbLib”
3. Right-click and select Tools → New Blank Component
4. Name it to match your schematic symbol

For the Arduino Uno footprint:

Header Placement:

• Digital header (D0-D13): 8 pins + 6 pins with 0.1″ (2.54mm) spacing
• Power header: 6 pins with 0.1″ spacing
• Analog header (A0-A5): 6 pins with 0.1″ spacing

Critical Dimensions:

• Board outline: 68.6mm x 53.4mm
• Header positions measured from board edge per Arduino reference design
• Mounting hole positions: Reference Arduino’s CAD files for exact locations

To place pads:

1. Select Place → Pad or press P, P
2. Set pad properties: Through-hole, 1mm drill, 1.6mm diameter for standard headers
3. Use the grid (Ctrl+G) set to 2.54mm for accurate header pin spacing
4. Place pads in rows matching header positions

Add a board outline on the mechanical layer and mounting holes if needed.

Linking Symbol to Footprint

Connect your schematic symbol to the PCB footprint:

1. Open your schematic library
2. Double-click the Arduino component to edit
3. Click Add Footprint in the SCH Library panel
4. Browse to your PCB library and select the matching footprint
5. Verify pin mapping is correct

Compile the libraries to check for errors:

1. Right-click the library in Projects panel
2. Select Compile Integrated Library
3. Review any warnings or errors in the Messages panel

Arduino Pin Mapping Reference

Accurate pin naming ensures your schematic correctly represents the Arduino’s capabilities. Here’s a detailed mapping for the most common boards.

Arduino Uno R3 Pin Mapping

Arduino Nano Pin Mapping

The Nano uses the same ATmega328P as the Uno but exposes two additional analog pins:

Best Practices for Using Arduino Libraries

After years of designing Arduino-based PCBs, I’ve learned several practices that save time and prevent costly mistakes.

Verify Footprint Accuracy Before Manufacturing

Always verify your Arduino footprint against a physical board before sending your design to fabrication:

1. Print your PCB layout at 1:1 scale on paper
2. Place actual Arduino headers or the Arduino board itself on the printout
3. Verify all pins align correctly
4. Check mounting hole positions

A few minutes of verification prevents weeks of delay from board respins.

Include 3D Models for Mechanical Verification

3D models help verify your design fits in enclosures and identify clearance issues:

1. Download STEP files for Arduino boards from GrabCAD or Arduino’s GitHub
2. Import the STEP file into your footprint using Place → 3D Body
3. Position the model to align with the footprint
4. Use Altium’s 3D view to check component clearances

Maintain Consistent Library Naming

Use consistent naming conventions across your Arduino libraries:

• Schematic symbols: ARDUINO_UNO_R3, ARDUINO_NANO_V3, ARDUINO_MEGA_2560
• Footprints: ARDUINO_UNO_R3, ARDUINO_NANO_V3 (matching names simplify linking)
• Include version numbers when relevant

Document Your Custom Libraries

Add documentation to your libraries for future reference:

1. In the schematic symbol, add a component description
2. Include links to Arduino’s official documentation
3. Note any modifications from standard pinouts
4. Record the source of dimensional data

Useful Resources for Arduino Altium Libraries

Official Arduino Resources

Community Library Sources

Component Search Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Arduino libraries from Eagle in Altium Designer?

Yes, Altium Designer can import Eagle libraries. Since Arduino’s original designs were created in Eagle, you can import these directly. Go to File → Import Wizard, select “Eagle PCB Design Files” and follow the prompts. The import process converts Eagle schematic symbols and footprints to Altium format, though you may need to clean up some details after import.

Read more about Altium relative articles:

Altium 365 Pricing: Plans, Features & Is It Worth It?

Altium CircuitMaker: Free PCB Design Software Review & Download Guide

Altium CircuitStudio vs Altium Designer: Which One Should You Choose?

Altium Designer & SolidWorks Integration: Complete Setup Guide

Altium Designer 3D View: How to Visualize Your PCB in 3D

Altium Designer Arduino Library: Schematic & Footprint Download

Altium Designer Download: How to Get the Latest Version (2026)

Altium Designer DRC: How to Set Up Design Rule Checks

Altium Designer Git Integration: Version Control Setup Guide

Altium Designer Hierarchical Design: Multi-Sheet Schematic Guide

Altium Designer Libraries Download: Complete Guide to Component Libraries

Altium Designer on Linux: Installation Guide for Ubuntu

Altium Designer on Mac: Can You Run It on macOS? (Solutions)

Altium Designer PCB Design Tutorial: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Altium Designer PCB Design: Complete Beginner’s Guide

Altium Designer Price: Complete Cost Breakdown & Licensing Guide (2026)

Altium Designer Student Version: Free Download & How to Get It

Altium Designer Tutorial for Beginners: Learn PCB Design Step-by-Step

Altium Designer: How to Change Units from Mils to mm

Altium vs KiCad: Which PCB Design Software Should You Choose?

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Are these Arduino libraries free to use in commercial projects?

Most community-created Arduino libraries on GitHub are released under open-source licenses like GPL or MIT, which permit commercial use. However, always check the specific license for each library. Arduino’s own design files are open-source, and derivatives are generally permitted for commercial use. When in doubt, create your own library from publicly available specifications.

Why don’t standard Altium libraries include Arduino boards?

Standard Altium libraries focus on discrete components like resistors, capacitors, ICs, and connectors. Development boards like Arduino are complete assemblies rather than individual components. Additionally, Arduino boards have many variants (Uno R3, Nano, Mega, etc.) that would require extensive library maintenance. The community fills this gap with shared libraries.

How do I add a 3D model to my Arduino footprint?

To add a 3D model: First, obtain a STEP file of the Arduino board from sources like GrabCAD. In your PCB footprint editor, select Place → 3D Body. Choose “Generic STEP Model” and browse to your STEP file. Position the model to align with your pads and board outline. Use the rotation and offset parameters to fine-tune placement. Save the footprint to include the 3D model.

What’s the difference between .SchLib, .PcbLib, and .IntLib files?

These are Altium’s library file formats: .SchLib (Schematic Library) contains schematic symbols—the visual representations used in circuit schematics. .PcbLib (PCB Library) contains footprints—the physical pad layouts for PCB design. .IntLib (Integrated Library) is a compiled file combining both schematic symbols and PCB footprints into a single, linked package. Integrated libraries ensure symbols and footprints stay synchronized but require recompilation when updated.

Final Thoughts on Arduino Libraries for Altium

Having a reliable Altium Designer Arduino Library collection saves significant time when designing Arduino-based products. Whether you download existing libraries from GitHub and SnapEDA or create your own from Arduino’s specifications, the key is verifying accuracy before committing to fabrication.

Start with well-maintained community libraries for common boards like the Uno and Nano. For specialized boards or when you need specific customizations, invest the time to create your own libraries following the guidelines above. Document everything, maintain consistent naming, and always verify footprints against physical hardware.

The Arduino ecosystem’s open-source nature means you’ll find resources for virtually every board variant. Combined with Altium Designer’s powerful library management and 3D visualization, you can confidently design professional products built on Arduino’s proven platform.