One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
sensors.

If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
counter, and a rack of bins.

What do you folks use?

Cheers

Phil Hobbs (trying out the pan newsreader)

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com

On 6/1/21 12:14 PM, Phil Hobbs wrote:
> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
> sensors.
>
> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
> counter, and a rack of bins.
>

Make sure they don't just let it all sit around in boxes. You'll likely
need a nitrogen cabinet, considering that stuff can have leadtimes in
excess of a year now.

> What do you folks use?
>

What I saw used a lot was a four+four numbering system with a dash in
the middle which harks back to the old HP days I think. The first four
identify the part category (resistor, capacitor, transistor, standoff,
bolt, glue, et cetera). The 2nd four identifies the particular value
(20k, 0.1uF, MMBT3904 ...). Each 4+4 number can have multiple brands for
the same value but it must be ECO released, so that you don't mix things
into older designs that won't work there. Then it all goes into a large
database.

You could also just buy a system but I don't know any of the smaller
ones myself:

https://partsbox.com/

> Cheers
>
> Phil Hobbs (trying out the pan newsreader)
>

Seems to work :-)

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 3:14:40 PM UTC-4, Phil Hobbs wrote:
> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
> sensors.
>
> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
> counter, and a rack of bins.
>
> What do you folks use?
There's Open Source for nearly everything these days:
https://partkeepr.org/

It originates in Germany and they're famous for organizing things, so that alone is a recommendation.

Reviews:
https://www.business.org/finance/inventory-management/partkeepr-review/
Downside probably not a problem for a tech business.
https://www.thesmbguide.com/partkeepr
https://www.goodfirms.co/software/partkeepr
....bunches of other.
Seems to get high ratings from everybody.

>
> Cheers
>
> Phil Hobbs (trying out the pan newsreader)
>
> --
> Dr Philip C D Hobbs
> Principal Consultant
> ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
> Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
> Briarcliff Manor NY 10510
>
> http://electrooptical.net
> http://hobbs-eo.com

On 6/1/21 1:19 PM, Fred Bloggs wrote:
> On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 3:14:40 PM UTC-4, Phil Hobbs wrote:
>> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
>> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
>> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
>> sensors.
>>
>> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
>> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
>> counter, and a rack of bins.
>>
>> What do you folks use?
> There's Open Source for nearly everything these days:
> https://partkeepr.org/
>
> It originates in Germany and they're famous for organizing things, so that alone is a recommendation.
>

It's mainly for Linux though. That's right up Phil's alley, and also
mine now. However, his customer might be running Windows.

[...]

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 4:31:20 PM UTC-4, Joerg wrote:
> On 6/1/21 1:19 PM, Fred Bloggs wrote:
> > On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 3:14:40 PM UTC-4, Phil Hobbs wrote:
> >> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
> >> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
> >> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
> >> sensors.
> >>
> >> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
> >> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
> >> counter, and a rack of bins.
> >>
> >> What do you folks use?
> > There's Open Source for nearly everything these days:
> > https://partkeepr.org/
> >
> > It originates in Germany and they're famous for organizing things, so that alone is a recommendation.
> >
> It's mainly for Linux though. That's right up Phil's alley, and also
> mine now. However, his customer might be running Windows.

Sounds like they're pretty firm about not supporting Windows too. They must have gotten fed up with all the vulnerabilities and hacking.

>
> [...]
> --
> Regards, Joerg
>
> http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Phil Hobbs <pcdhobbs@electrooptical.net> Wrote in message:r
> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our sensors.If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts counter, and a rack of bins.What do you folks use?CheersPhil Hobbs (trying out the pan newsreader)-- Dr Philip C D HobbsPrincipal ConsultantElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOpticsOptics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog ElectronicsBriarcliff Manor NY 10510http://electrooptical.nethttp://hobbs-eo.com

Haven't tried any. We use a Erp.

But bomist looks promising.

Other wise an access database would suffice.

Cheers
--

----Android NewsGroup Reader----
https://piaohong.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/usenet/index.html

On Tue, 01 Jun 2021 14:14:30 -0500, Phil Hobbs
<pcdhobbs@electrooptical.net> wrote:

>One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
>approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
>unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
>sensors.
>
>If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
>mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
>counter, and a rack of bins.
>
>What do you folks use?
>
>Cheers
>
>Phil Hobbs (trying out the pan newsreader)

MAX, which we wrote ourselves. We couldn't find any standard software
that understood our needs.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/muzo75nv8d40df7/MAX_part_page.jpg?raw=1

We also have standards for forming a stock number, like

132-4001 RES 0805 100R 1%

It handles BOMs and production allocations and such too.

On Tue, 1 Jun 2021 13:19:28 -0700 (PDT), Fred Bloggs
<bloggs.fredbloggs.fred@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 3:14:40 PM UTC-4, Phil Hobbs wrote:
>> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
>> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
>> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
>> sensors.
>>
>> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
>> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
>> counter, and a rack of bins.
>>
>> What do you folks use?
>There's Open Source for nearly everything these days:
>https://partkeepr.org/
>
>It originates in Germany and they're famous for organizing things, so that alone is a recommendation.
>
>Reviews:
>https://www.business.org/finance/inventory-management/partkeepr-review/
>Downside probably not a problem for a tech business.
>https://www.thesmbguide.com/partkeepr
>https://www.goodfirms.co/software/partkeepr
>...bunches of other.
>Seems to get high ratings from everybody.
>
>>

One problem that all the commercial software had was the assumption
that something like 2N7000 is a good name for a stockable part.

We assign a 7-digit stock number to a part, which is what we call out
on a schematic and on a BOM. OnSemi 2N7000 might be one acceptable
thing to purchase to go in the 205-2001 bin, but there could be
others.

Software that we evaluated didn't seem to understand this.

Given a correct schematic with MAX numbers on the parts, PADS can
generate a BOM in our format. We have other programs that cross-check
the stock numbers on a BOM against values and such. We currenty have
1545 BOMs, 7245 stocked parts, 3,511,640 total pieces.

John Larkin wrote:
> On Tue, 01 Jun 2021 14:14:30 -0500, Phil Hobbs
> <pcdhobbs@electrooptical.net> wrote:
>
>> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
>> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
>> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
>> sensors.
>>
>> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
>> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
>> counter, and a rack of bins.
>>
>> What do you folks use?
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Phil Hobbs (trying out the pan newsreader)
>
> MAX, which we wrote ourselves. We couldn't find any standard software
> that understood our needs.
>
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/muzo75nv8d40df7/MAX_part_page.jpg?raw=1
>
> We also have standards for forming a stock number, like
>
> 132-4001 RES 0805 100R 1%
>
> It handles BOMs and production allocations and such too.
>
>
Simon wrote something like that for us, which we've been using for some
years now.

Our customer needs something that keeps track of inventory, interfaces
to some affordable parts counter gizmo, and knows what bin everything
belongs in.

How about a suggestion for the parts counter?

Thanks

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com

On Tue, 1 Jun 2021 19:26:20 -0400, Phil Hobbs
<pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:

>John Larkin wrote:
>> On Tue, 01 Jun 2021 14:14:30 -0500, Phil Hobbs
>> <pcdhobbs@electrooptical.net> wrote:
>>
>>> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
>>> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
>>> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
>>> sensors.
>>>
>>> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
>>> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
>>> counter, and a rack of bins.
>>>
>>> What do you folks use?
>>>
>>> Cheers
>>>
>>> Phil Hobbs (trying out the pan newsreader)
>>
>> MAX, which we wrote ourselves. We couldn't find any standard software
>> that understood our needs.
>>
>> https://www.dropbox.com/s/muzo75nv8d40df7/MAX_part_page.jpg?raw=1
>>
>> We also have standards for forming a stock number, like
>>
>> 132-4001 RES 0805 100R 1%
>>
>> It handles BOMs and production allocations and such too.
>>
>>
>Simon wrote something like that for us, which we've been using for some
>years now.
>
>Our customer needs something that keeps track of inventory, interfaces
>to some affordable parts counter gizmo, and knows what bin everything
>belongs in.
>
>How about a suggestion for the parts counter?
>
>Thanks
>
>Phil Hobbs

We got an x-ray machine to count parts.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/btvyrvdod4eic6p/Xray_Counter.jpg?raw=1

but it's not very affordable.

There are hand-cranked parts counters; you mount a reel of parts and
spin it through, then you have to spool them back. It gets messy at
the start and the end, with leaders and such.

We put a sticker on every bag or reel with our 7-digit part number, so
we know where they go in the bins in the stockroom. We also put
matching color dots as a crosscheck.

It's a hassle. Sometimes a reel is in a kit too, waiting to be
partially used on the p+p machine. Or it's on a feeder. They handle
that somehow.

On 02/06/2021 05:14, Phil Hobbs wrote:
> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
> sensors.
>
> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
> counter, and a rack of bins.
>
> What do you folks use?
>
> Cheers
>
> Phil Hobbs (trying out the pan newsreader)
>

There is a recent episode of "the Amp Hour" where they interview the
one-person-company that is a vendor of such a system aimed at small
businesses and individuals, and it is worth listening to. If nothing
else, it might alert you to some features that you wouldn't have thought
that you needed, but do.

https://theamphour.libsyn.com/the-amp-hour-542-component-management-with-jan-rychter

On 6/1/2021 12:14 PM, Phil Hobbs wrote:
> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
> sensors.
>
> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
> counter, and a rack of bins.

Are you sure all of your parts will fit in those "bins"?
One common problem with folks who like to needlessly inject
*information* into the part numbering system is they want all of
their X's to be colocated in the part number space. Then, they
want part X+1 to be located (in the warehouse) *near* part X.

This is often not possible (if X and X+1 are physically very different;
like 100W and 1/16W resistors).

[I was lectured about the silliness of embedding information in
part numbers by a vice president of The Stanley Works. He asked
me how *I* would design a part numbering system. And, having not
thought about it, previously, came to the same LAME solution that
many folks decide upon: "1XXX for screwdrivers, 2XXX for hammers,
3XXX for tape rules..." He then pulled a tool out of his desk drawer
that was effectively a "multitool" -- "Where would this fit in
your numbering system?" And, my reply was equally uninspired as
my initial solution: "9XXX for 'Other'!"

He grinned and showed me how many "Others" would fill up that
portion of the number space. Where does an electronic tape rule
fit? Or, a framer's square with built in level? Or, pneumatic
screwdriver? or...]

> What do you folks use?

I wrote a system for a group, here. Part numbers were assigned *sequentially*;
"The next available number is XXXX" (regardless of what XXXX-1 happened to
have been).

Stockroom "locations" were laid out in a structured manner (so you could
find location XYZ given that you happened to be standing in front of XYW,
at the time).

Parts (part numbers) were placed in locations "as they fit". So, you could
have vastly different types of products with vastly different part numbers
sitting adjacent to each other on a particular shelf.

The software kept track of what (P/N) was where (location) and what (P/N) was
what (item description).

Descriptions were encouraged to be verbose. Expecting people to agree
on a standard format for a description for a particular *type* of item
was silly: why is "resistor, 1/4W, 10%, film" any better than "10%,
film, resistor, 1/4W"? Do you want to create a "part numbering police
force" to decide how everything gets described?

Full text search lets the DBMS offer up likely candidates for any given
search criteria -- assume human beings have enough common sense to
refine their search objectives based on the (near instantaneous)
results provided.

[One could conceivably enhance this search with support for
"common abbreviations" as well as "common misspellings"
(resistor == res == R == resister) and count on the human user
to recognize what the descriptions mean.]

Once a part number is decided upon (from that search), the picklist
tells you where to find it and, in the case of multiple devices,
how best to walk the floor to retrieve them all. You don't want
part pickers having to keep backtracking because the third item
on the list is right by the first item (but, they didn't "read ahead"
to discover that until they'd walked off to find the *second* item).

This was used to manage a 30,000 sq ft warehouse.

Some years later, I was touring a furniture company's warehouse
and saw that they had a similar system in place: lamps stored
next to sofas in some cases, *other* lamps stored next to
end tables, etc. And, the forklift driver just consulted a
pick list to go fetch whichever items he'd been asked to retrieve
(there was no "sofa aisle" in the stacks; nor a "lamp section",
etc)

Warehouse was considerably *smaller* than the one I'd instrumented.
But, theirs had 50 ft tall "shelves"!

"Phil Hobbs" <pcdhobbs@electrooptical.net> wrote in message
news:O9-dnU-JxLWLGiv9nZ2dnUU7-YudnZ2d@supernews.com...
> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
> sensors.
>
> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
> counter, and a rack of bins.
>
> What do you folks use?

I'd install this:
https://mariadb.org/download/
Followed by this:
https://www.heidisql.com/
I'd then connect to the first one with the second one and create a database.

Yes there will be a learning curve, particularly if you haven't yet got
beyond spreadsheets.
If you can get over the learning curve you will eventually find that you've
created the inventory system you want and it's tailored exactly to your own
needs.

What you won't have is a piece of software which is unusably complicated
because it tries to please everyone.
Or a piece of software which can't do half of what you want to do.

It may be too much of a jump or too time consuming for what you're asking,
but that would be my approach.

>
> Cheers
>
> Phil Hobbs (trying out the pan newsreader)
>
> --
> Dr Philip C D Hobbs
> Principal Consultant
> ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
> Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
> Briarcliff Manor NY 10510
>
> http://electrooptical.net
> http://hobbs-eo.com
>

On Tue, 01 Jun 2021 22:42:44 -0400, "Edward Rawde"
<invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:

> "Phil Hobbs" <pcdhobbs@electrooptical.net> wrote in message
> news:O9-dnU-JxLWLGiv9nZ2dnUU7-YudnZ2d@supernews.com...
>> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
>> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
>> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of
>> our sensors.
>>
>> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
>> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
>> counter, and a rack of bins.
>>
>> What do you folks use?
>
> I'd install this:
> https://mariadb.org/download/
> Followed by this:
> https://www.heidisql.com/
> I'd then connect to the first one with the second one and create a
> database.
>
> Yes there will be a learning curve, particularly if you haven't yet got
> beyond spreadsheets.
> If you can get over the learning curve you will eventually find that
> you've created the inventory system you want and it's tailored exactly
> to your own needs.
>
> What you won't have is a piece of software which is unusably complicated
> because it tries to please everyone.
> Or a piece of software which can't do half of what you want to do.
>
> It may be too much of a jump or too time consuming for what you're
> asking, but that would be my approach.
>
>

Thanks. We already have a system like that for our internal use. What
I'm looking for is a combination of an inexpensive parts counting gizmo
with some lightweight inventory control s/w.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com

On 6/1/2021 8:12 PM, Phil Hobbs wrote:
> On Tue, 01 Jun 2021 22:42:44 -0400, "Edward Rawde"
> <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>> "Phil Hobbs" <pcdhobbs@electrooptical.net> wrote in message
>> news:O9-dnU-JxLWLGiv9nZ2dnUU7-YudnZ2d@supernews.com...
>>> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
>>> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
>>> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of
>>> our sensors.
>>>
>>> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
>>> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
>>> counter, and a rack of bins.
>>>
>>> What do you folks use?
>>
>> I'd install this:
>> https://mariadb.org/download/
>> Followed by this:
>> https://www.heidisql.com/
>> I'd then connect to the first one with the second one and create a
>> database.
>>
>> Yes there will be a learning curve, particularly if you haven't yet got
>> beyond spreadsheets.
>> If you can get over the learning curve you will eventually find that
>> you've created the inventory system you want and it's tailored exactly
>> to your own needs.
>>
>> What you won't have is a piece of software which is unusably complicated
>> because it tries to please everyone.
>> Or a piece of software which can't do half of what you want to do.
>>
>> It may be too much of a jump or too time consuming for what you're
>> asking, but that would be my approach.
>>
>>
>
> Thanks. We already have a system like that for our internal use. What
> I'm looking for is a combination of an inexpensive parts counting gizmo
> with some lightweight inventory control s/w.

Mimicking what you already have -- up and running -- would seem to be
the easiest/cheapest solution for them. Any other solution will require
"someone" to maintain their "system" -- instead of relying on you
to augment their part definitions, etc. with your EXISTING definitions.

Or, are there so few parts that it's not even a "part-time" job?

On 2/6/21 6:31 am, Joerg wrote:
> On 6/1/21 1:19 PM, Fred Bloggs wrote:
>> On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 3:14:40 PM UTC-4, Phil Hobbs wrote:
>>> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
>>> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
>>> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
>>> sensors.
>>>
>>> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
>>> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
>>> counter, and a rack of bins.
>>>
>>> What do you folks use?
>> There's Open Source for nearly everything these days:
>> https://partkeepr.org/
>>
>> It originates in Germany and they're famous for organizing things, so
>> that alone is a recommendation.
>>
>
> It's mainly for Linux though. That's right up Phil's alley, and also
> mine now. However, his customer might be running Windows.

Any software of this nature that doesn't support a standard web
interface should probably be avoided for that mistake alone.

But yeah, you might need a Linux system (or VM?) to run that.

CH

Don Y wrote:
> On 6/1/2021 8:12 PM, Phil Hobbs wrote:
>> On Tue, 01 Jun 2021 22:42:44 -0400, "Edward Rawde"
>> <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>> "Phil Hobbs" <pcdhobbs@electrooptical.net> wrote in message
>>> news:O9-dnU-JxLWLGiv9nZ2dnUU7-YudnZ2d@supernews.com...
>>>> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
>>>> approximately the beginning of time.  On account of the current parts
>>>> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of
>>>> our sensors.
>>>>
>>>> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
>>>> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
>>>> counter, and a rack of bins.
>>>>
>>>> What do you folks use?
>>>
>>> I'd install this:
>>> https://mariadb.org/download/
>>> Followed by this:
>>> https://www.heidisql.com/
>>> I'd then connect to the first one with the second one and create a
>>> database.
>>>
>>> Yes there will be a learning curve, particularly if you haven't yet got
>>> beyond spreadsheets.
>>> If you can get over the learning curve you will eventually find that
>>> you've created the inventory system you want and it's tailored exactly
>>> to your own needs.
>>>
>>> What you won't have is a piece of software which is unusably complicated
>>> because it tries to please everyone.
>>> Or a piece of software which can't do half of what you want to do.
>>>
>>> It may be too much of a jump or too time consuming for what you're
>>> asking, but that would be my approach.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Thanks. We already have a system like that for our internal use.  What
>> I'm looking for is a combination of an inexpensive parts counting gizmo
>> with some lightweight inventory control s/w.
>
> Mimicking what you already have -- up and running -- would seem to be
> the easiest/cheapest solution for them.  Any other solution will require
> "someone" to maintain their "system" -- instead of relying on you
> to augment their part definitions, etc. with your EXISTING definitions.
>
> Or, are there so few parts that it's not even a "part-time" job?
>

We don't have a parts counter or barcode reader, and they really need that.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com

On 6/1/21 4:12 PM, John Larkin wrote:
> On Tue, 1 Jun 2021 13:19:28 -0700 (PDT), Fred Bloggs
> <bloggs.fredbloggs.fred@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 3:14:40 PM UTC-4, Phil Hobbs wrote:
>>> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
>>> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
>>> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
>>> sensors.
>>>
>>> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
>>> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
>>> counter, and a rack of bins.
>>>
>>> What do you folks use?
>> There's Open Source for nearly everything these days:
>> https://partkeepr.org/
>>
>> It originates in Germany and they're famous for organizing things, so that alone is a recommendation.
>>
>> Reviews:
>> https://www.business.org/finance/inventory-management/partkeepr-review/
>> Downside probably not a problem for a tech business.
>> https://www.thesmbguide.com/partkeepr
>> https://www.goodfirms.co/software/partkeepr
>> ...bunches of other.
>> Seems to get high ratings from everybody.
>>
>>>
>
> One problem that all the commercial software had was the assumption
> that something like 2N7000 is a good name for a stockable part.
>
> We assign a 7-digit stock number to a part, which is what we call out
> on a schematic and on a BOM. OnSemi 2N7000 might be one acceptable
> thing to purchase to go in the 205-2001 bin, but there could be
> others.
>
> Software that we evaluated didn't seem to understand this.
>

All the ones I dealt with, starting in 1986, did that. You assign a part
number and under that same number there could be umpteen variants from
different manufacturers. Each had to be ECO-released individually which
is mandatory in highly regulated industries. Purchasing was allowed to
buy any part under that stock number but no alternatives. If they wanted
an alternative it had do be ECO-released. Kind of what I am doing right
now for a client with a power inductor.

> Given a correct schematic with MAX numbers on the parts, PADS can
> generate a BOM in our format. We have other programs that cross-check
> the stock numbers on a BOM against values and such. We currenty have
> 1545 BOMs, 7245 stocked parts, 3,511,640 total pieces.
>

1545 BOMs, that's impressive! Probably half of those projects started on
a napkin at Zeitgeist.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at 11:56:15 AM UTC-4, Phil Hobbs wrote:
>
> We don't have a parts counter or barcode reader, and they really need that.

I bought a barcode scanner similar to this. Wireless, USB interface that acts like normal keyboard input and has a visible scan line from the LASER. This one is $21. That is cheap enough to keep a spare on hand if it fails, or to be ready if someone takes it. I have one with a cord, but it is much easier to use the wireless model.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/254921961282

On 6/2/2021 5:55 PM, Michael Terrell wrote:
> On Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at 11:56:15 AM UTC-4, Phil Hobbs wrote:
>>
>> We don't have a parts counter or barcode reader, and they really need
>> that.
>
> I bought a barcode scanner similar to this. Wireless, USB interface that
> acts like normal keyboard input and has a visible scan line from the LASER.
> This one is $21. That is cheap enough to keep a spare on hand if it fails,
> or to be ready if someone takes it. I have one with a cord, but it is much
> easier to use the wireless model. https://www.ebay.com/itm/254921961282

+1 for the wireless issue. We used scanners similar to those that
you see in the "self-checkout" aisle at Sam's Club (handheld with a
charging dock).

But, if I had to do it over again, I'd opt for a cellphone app.
No matter how portable the *scanner*, you inevitably need some
feedback as to what you've done and what the machine is expecting.
In our case, that meant you had to have a display nearby.

[I affixed barcode labels to the displays so you could "scan"
a display's barcode label and the "virtual display" associated
with your barcode scanner would be dispatched to that PHYSICAL
display. So, all you had to do was have "enough" displays
distributed around your workspace.]

We tried mounting laptops on carts (like you see in hospitals
when the bean counters come around wanting your billing
information, etc.). But, that meant dragging a cart around.

A (large-ish) phone seems like it could be ideal. Something
the size of an iPad would just be a hindrance -- you want your
hands to be free.

And, once you have a cell phone, you could replace barcodes with
QR codes and actually bring the data to the user VIA the product
(instead of having to look it up in the database).

On 01/06/2021 22.31, Joerg wrote:
> On 6/1/21 1:19 PM, Fred Bloggs wrote:
>> On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 3:14:40 PM UTC-4, Phil Hobbs wrote:
>>> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
>>> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
>>> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of our
>>> sensors.
>>>
>>> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
>>> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
>>> counter, and a rack of bins.
>>>
>>> What do you folks use?
>> There's Open Source for nearly everything these days:
>> https://partkeepr.org/
>>
>> It originates in Germany and they're famous for organizing things, so
>> that alone is a recommendation.
>>
>
> It's mainly for Linux though. That's right up Phil's alley, and also
> mine now. However, his customer might be running Windows.
>
> [...]
>

Maybe install VirtualBox on Windows. I use that for trying out SW that
needs to be contained

On 6/4/21 12:17 AM, Klaus Vestergaard Kragelund wrote:
> On 01/06/2021 22.31, Joerg wrote:
>> On 6/1/21 1:19 PM, Fred Bloggs wrote:
>>> On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 3:14:40 PM UTC-4, Phil Hobbs wrote:
>>>> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly since
>>>> approximately the beginning of time. On account of the current parts
>>>> unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock for some hundreds of
>>>> our
>>>> sensors.
>>>>
>>>> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a confused
>>>> mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some software, a parts
>>>> counter, and a rack of bins.
>>>>
>>>> What do you folks use?
>>> There's Open Source for nearly everything these days:
>>> https://partkeepr.org/
>>>
>>> It originates in Germany and they're famous for organizing things, so
>>> that alone is a recommendation.
>>>
>>
>> It's mainly for Linux though. That's right up Phil's alley, and also
>> mine now. However, his customer might be running Windows.
>>
>> [...]
>>
>
> Maybe install VirtualBox on Windows. I use that for trying out SW that
> needs to be contained

I have that in reverse (Win 7 VM on Linux) but it can become a pain in
the you-know-what. On older HW that has a non-vtx CPU it may not run at
all anymore.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> wrote in
news:iidcr6Fgs5kU1@mid.individual.net:

> On 6/4/21 12:17 AM, Klaus Vestergaard Kragelund wrote:
>> On 01/06/2021 22.31, Joerg wrote:
>>> On 6/1/21 1:19 PM, Fred Bloggs wrote:
>>>> On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 3:14:40 PM UTC-4, Phil Hobbs wrote:
>>>>> One of our customers has used turnkey board fab and assembly
>>>>> since approximately the beginning of time. On account of the
>>>>> current parts unpleasantness, they want to have a parts stock
>>>>> for some hundreds of our
>>>>> sensors.
>>>>>
>>>>> If they have stuff just lying around in boxes, it'll become a
>>>>> confused mess in no time, so we want to set them up with some
>>>>> software, a parts counter, and a rack of bins.
>>>>>
>>>>> What do you folks use?
>>>> There's Open Source for nearly everything these days:
>>>> https://partkeepr.org/
>>>>
>>>> It originates in Germany and they're famous for organizing
>>>> things, so that alone is a recommendation.
>>>>
>>>
>>> It's mainly for Linux though. That's right up Phil's alley, and
>>> also mine now. However, his customer might be running Windows.
>>>
>>> [...]
>>>
>>
>> Maybe install VirtualBox on Windows. I use that for trying out SW
>> that needs to be contained
>
>
> I have that in reverse (Win 7 VM on Linux) but it can become a
> pain in the you-know-what. On older HW that has a non-vtx CPU it
> may not run at all anymore.
>

No need for a VB on a Windows system. Windows runs Linux now.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10