What a JLCPCB CPL needs
JLCPCB describes the Component Placement List as an ASCII table containing designator, component-centroid X and Y, top or bottom layer, and rotation. Coordinates are required in millimetres, and positive rotation is counter-clockwise. This tool emits those five named columns and converts supported source units to millimetres.
How source formats are detected
Header aliases identify common KiCad Ref/PosX/PosY/Rot/Side, JLCPCB and EasyEDA Designator/Mid X/Mid Y, DipTrace RefDes/Center X/Center Y/Rotate/Side, configurable Altium-style center columns, EAGLE-style fields, and generic equivalents. Detection is based on columns, not merely a filename. Preambles can precede the header, but each data row must still provide a designator, two coordinates, rotation, and side.
Rotation and bottom-side corrections
Footprint-library zero orientation is not universal, so the tool ships with no hidden package correction database. Global and selector rules add declared deltas and offsets. Bottom rotation formulas and coordinate mirrors are separate, opt-in operations. EasyEDA specifically notes that its bottom-coordinate mirror option is not needed for JLCPCB, which is why “none” is the default here.
Validation boundary
This is a placement-table transformer, not an assembly release system. It does not read Gerbers, BOMs, paste layers, fiducials, panel step-and-repeat data, library models, pad-one or polarity marks, component heights, feeder data, variants, DNP state, or manufacturer part orientation. It cannot prove that a centroid lies on the board or that a corrected angle is electrically or mechanically right. Invalid rows are excluded from the corrected CPL and remain listed in the audit.
Frequently asked questions
Should I mirror bottom coordinates for JLCPCB?
Not by default. EasyEDA’s own export guide says its bottom-side coordinate-mirroring option is not needed for JLCPCB. Use a mirror only when you have an explicit requirement and a known physical mirror axis.
Why are package corrections not automatic?
The required adjustment depends on how the footprint’s local zero orientation and the manufacturer’s part model were defined. A package name alone is not enough evidence to rotate every matching component safely.
Does the preview show component outlines?
No. It shows centroids, displacement, side, and a rotation bearing. It intentionally does not invent package dimensions or pin-one geometry.
Primary references
JLCPCB’s pick-and-place file requirements define its required fields, metric coordinates, and positive counter-clockwise rotation. EasyEDA’s export guide describes its centroid, origin, pad, layer, rotation, units, delimiter, encoding, and bottom-mirroring options. KiCad’s placement exporter source documents its CSV headers and side values. Altium’s assembly-data documentation and the DipTrace PCB Layout help document their configurable pick-and-place reports.
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