Adafruit Feather USB C

Adafruit Feather USB-C KiCad template

A KiCad project template for designing USB-C boards around the Adafruit Feather specification. It includes the board outline, mounting holes, 12-pin and 16-pin headers, a USB-C receptacle, and a two-pin JST PH battery connector.

Status

This is a starting layout, with no routed PCB tracks. USB-C VBUS and ground are assigned in the schematic, while USB data and CC connections remain unconnected. Add the required USB-C termination, power circuitry, controller, and application circuit before fabrication. The checked-in PCB was saved by KiCad 5.1.6; its legacy schematic and project formats are retained. The correctness audit confirms schematic/PCB connector-net agreement and records remaining ERC, DRC, and mounting-hole concerns. It does not establish electrical or manufacturing validation.

Use the template

git clone https://github.com/makeristic/Adafruit_Feather_USB-C.git

1. Copy the Adafruit_Feather_USB-C directory, including meta/, into your KiCad user templates directory. The archived KiCad 5.1 template-location documentation describes the directory layout.
2. In KiCad, create a project from a template and select this template under User Templates. Alternatively, open Adafruit_Feather_USB-C.pro to inspect the source.
3. Install KiCad's standard symbol, footprint, and 3D-model libraries. The source uses standard Connector, Connector_Generic, and power symbols and connector footprints. Retain the supplied -cache.lib: it contains the original USB_C_Receptacle_USB2.0 symbol, which is absent under that name in current libraries. Models reference ${KISYS3DMOD}; when using a newer release, check that this legacy path variable points to your installed 3D-model directory and resolve any changed model filenames.
4. Work in a copy when opening with a newer KiCad release, which may convert the legacy files. Review the Feather pinout, connector orientation, and all USB-C and power connections, then run ERC and DRC on your completed design.

The schematic identifies USB-C connector U262-161N-4BVC11 (LCSC C319148) and battery connector S2B-PH-SM4-TB(LF)(SN) (LCSC C295747). Verify the selected parts against their current datasheets before ordering.

Files

• Adafruit_Feather_USB-C.sch: legacy schematic with connector pin labels and connector part numbers.
• Adafruit_Feather_USB-C.kicad_pcb: board outline and placed footprints.
• Adafruit_Feather_USB-C-cache.lib: cached schematic symbols.
• meta/: KiCad template description, icon, and board preview.

No firmware, BOM export, or Gerber fabrication package is included.

Related projects and contributions

Use Adafruit_Feather for the original Micro-USB variant. Feather_STM32WB55 is a separate STM32WB55 board design; Makeristic-KiCad-Library contains additional parts and a USB-C connector model.

Report problems through GitHub issues, including your KiCad version and any missing-library messages. For layout changes, include schematic or board screenshots and explain any change to Feather compatibility.

Attribution and licence

Original template copyright © 2019 arturo182, from KiCad/kicad-templates pull request #23. Michael Cutler adapted the template for USB-C in 2020; the original attribution remains in the template metadata.

The upstream licence at the source revision is Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 with the KiCad library exception. A copy is included in LICENSE.md. The derived template has not been relicensed to MIT; consult the licence for the distinction between using library data in a design and redistributing the template collection.