Earlier today, I mentioned an idea about integrating parametric search into Kicad. How I'm curious whether any commercial EDA tool does this, or whether there is any existing database for parametric search.
It would be nice if a schematic/PCB tool could support:
parametric search (Digikey integration?)
data sheet links
octopart integration to show availability&pricing
part footprints for PCB layout
3D models for visualisation
spice models for simulation
Kicad's libraries for symbols, footprints, 3D and Spice are badly integrated at present, and there isn't very good search capabilities.
How good are the commercial EDA tools at this kind of thing?
I think Orcad used to incorporate a data base interface, although not reall y parametric. One job I had would let us select parts through Orcad and kn ow that the part had a company part number and was on the shelf. I don't r ecall if it had any technical info other than a datasheet.
The big part of parametric search is the data. Even now Digikey has lots o f wrong info in their data base and I expect they require the manufacturer to provide that info for their parts. That's why it's so often wrong most likely. The manufacturers enter the data the way they like to see it.
If you are going to add an interface for any source, Digikey and Mouser wou ld be the useful candidates. Not many professionals worry with a couple of bucks in building prototypes. Better to facilitate the design process and to use the parts that are best for the job, not because they are available at a single supplier.
But really, it's a bit backwards to even think that way. I have no trouble using Digikey and Mouser along with Octopart to check general availability . So my selection process has nothing to do with KiCAD or any other design package and there is no utility to that. Once I've selected the part, I t hen need a schematic symbol and a footprint for the design entry. Vendor s upplied symbols often are other than optimal and I always worry about any t hird party footprints, so again, tapping into a data base is not so importa nt because it is nearly as much work to verify a footprint as it is to just draw the durn thing.
What would be really useful would be to have a set of footprints that are v erified so they can be trusted. Even better would be good documentation on the tools.
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Rick C.
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