EEVblog Electronics Community Forum

Electronics => PCB/EDA/CAD => Circuit Studio => Topic started by: IanJ on February 23, 2020, 01:24:15 pm

Title: Production assembly BOM - Need a better way
Post by: IanJ on February 23, 2020, 01:24:15 pm
Hi all,

Been using CS since the beta days....love it (came from Eagle 6.3).

I assemble a good few boards at a time and by hand, over a hundred components on each typically. Currently I keep my BOM in Excel as I never really used the built in CS BOM management (all values are set on the SCH though).

So, when it comes to assembling my boards I usually print of part of my Excel BOM (sample below) and run down it that way.....but it's cumbersome. What I would really like is a way of having my desk-mounted iPad or perhaps a 3rd PC monitor to have the layout of the board and I just select a component value and all same components are highlighed and I can just follow the layout. Could be say 1off resistor, but may be 7off like the SS16R2 diode on the list below.

Any ideas?........I don't think there's anything that can help me within CS or am I missing something?

PS. I never really used the Eagle BOM management and when I picked up CS I just ran the same way.

Ian.

(https://www.ianjohnston.com/images/stories/IanJ/eevblog/BOM_1.png)
Title: Re: Production assembly BOM - Need a better way
Post by: Selectech on February 23, 2020, 01:29:12 pm
I've used this to help with manual assembly.

https://www.compuphase.com/visualplace/visualplace_en.htm (https://www.compuphase.com/visualplace/visualplace_en.htm)


Title: Re: Production assembly BOM - Need a better way
Post by: IanJ on February 23, 2020, 02:27:07 pm
Quote from: Selectech on February 23, 2020, 01:29:12 pm
I've used this to help with manual assembly.

https://www.compuphase.com/visualplace/visualplace_en.htm (https://www.compuphase.com/visualplace/visualplace_en.htm)

Thanks, this program looks to be exactly what I am looking for......Just tried it with CS gerber output (I added about everything) and the program reports "Failed to load pcb images" and then "unknown file format for component placement".

Lack of .GBR layer I think....?

Ian.
Title: Re: Production assembly BOM - Need a better way
Post by: PlainName on February 23, 2020, 07:01:45 pm
There is another similar, previously posted about in a topic near this one:

 SMT Assistant (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/manufacture/smt-assistant-software-for-handplacing-parts-free-and-awesome/msg873696/?PHPSESSID=1agudjn6b2bgm4mhqvrmlbrvp0#msg873696)
Title: Re: Production assembly BOM - Need a better way
Post by: MitjaN on February 23, 2020, 07:30:35 pm
This most likely way too exotic, but it is an avenue:
1. Import the project into KiCad via development builds that have Altium Board import compiled in (https://forum.kicad.info/t/work-in-progress-native-altium-importer/20712/37 (https://forum.kicad.info/t/work-in-progress-native-altium-importer/20712/37))
2. generate interactive html made for exactly this purpose. (https://github.com/openscopeproject/InteractiveHtmlBom (https://github.com/openscopeproject/InteractiveHtmlBom))