FPGA packages for PCB design

I looked extensively for a suitable library part when I began my design for a 1517 pin package. The only thing available is are scripts that make a simple X,Y grid of identical pins. For such a customizable chip, I considered this completely inadequate.

I went several steps further. Altera has Excel spreadsheets for the different FPGAs. I used one of them as a basis for generating my script. In Excel, I split the pin numbers into the lettered part (A,B,C,... AK, AL, etc) and the numbered part (1-39). Formulas found the X and Y offset of the pin using VLOOKUP into a table of values. Pad sizes, solder mask sizes and such were entered as variables. By the final column I had a text line composed that would generate all the components of the pin on a variety of different layers. I also made overlay layers for marking special pins, differential I/O pairs, clocks, etc.

This also gave me a start for the schematic part design. I went as far as to automatically name all the pins, had differential I/O where I needed it, clock pins, the different supplies, and separated into the respective banks. I generated the schematic symbol using the I/O direction and @@@ (i forget what its called, whether the input is state, clock, inverted or not). I also separated each bank into separate sub-units, each with their respective supply pins.

This level would never have been possible by hand. Doing a reduced version of this might help you get better than you will find anywhere online.