6.2 -> 6.5 BOM.ulp changes

Bob...thanks for your suggestion.    I also used the old bom.ulp and it

worked fine.   Its a good stopgap measure!

Warren ..  My thought was that the information from the tsv file would be

added to attributes of the parts on the schematic.   Then you could run the

bom with attributes ULP and come up with a reasonable BOM preserving the

labor invested in the original *.tsv files.   

Perhaps I don't understand how attributes are supposed to work but my

initial impression is that they don't work that well.   As an example,  if

you have created attributes for a schematic component (say digikey part

number),  and then replace the part with a different package or change the

value,  the custom attribute (dk part number) remains at the old value.  

At least with the older method (*.tsv/bom.ulp).   Is there a good on-line

tutorial for how the attributes are supposed to be used,  how they interact

with the bom generation process, etc?

Thanks for your ideas,

Jim

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

Bob...thanks for your suggestion.    I also used the old bom.ulp and it

worked fine.   Its a good stopgap measure!

Warren ..  My thought was that the information from the tsv file would be

added to attributes of the parts on the schematic.   Then you could run the

bom with attributes ULP and come up with a reasonable BOM preserving the

labor invested in the original *.tsv files.   

Perhaps I don't understand how attributes are supposed to work but my

initial impression is that they don't work that well.   As an example,  if

you have created attributes for a schematic component (say digikey part

number),  and then replace the part with a different package or change the

value,  the custom attribute (dk part number) remains at the old value.  

At least with the older method (*.tsv/bom.ulp).   Is there a good on-line

tutorial for how the attributes are supposed to be used,  how they interact

with the bom generation process, etc?

Thanks for your ideas,

Jim

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

On 21/12/2013 12:42 a.m., James Littlefield wrote:

Bob...thanks for your suggestion.    I also used the old bom.ulp and it

worked fine.   Its a good stopgap measure!

 

Warren ..  My thought was that the information from the tsv file would be

added to attributes of the parts on the schematic.   Then you could run the

bom with attributes ULP and come up with a reasonable BOM preserving the

labor invested in the original *.tsv files.

 

Perhaps I don't understand how attributes are supposed to work but my

initial impression is that they don't work that well.   As an example,  if

you have created attributes for a schematic component (say digikey part

number),  and then replace the part with a different package or change the

value,  the custom attribute (dk part number) remains at the old value.

At least with the older method (*.tsv/bom.ulp).   Is there a good on-line

tutorial for how the attributes are supposed to be used,  how they interact

with the bom generation process, etc?

 

Thanks for your ideas,

Jim

 

 

 

Hi Jim

Reading the HELP > attribute  is a good start.

Then supplement that by reading the explanations in the manual found in

the docs folder of  your installation files.

Then practice what you read.

In essence,

1. Attributes created in the library reveal themselves in the  lib, sch

and brd.

2. Attributes created in the sch reveal themselves in the sch and brd

3. Attributes created in the brd only pertain to the board

4. Then there the global attributes for the board

5. and separately, the global attributes for the schematic

To have part numbers that automatically change when you change the

package or technology, you will need to set up the attributes in the

library by device variant.

HTH

Warren

Hi Warren,

Thanks for the RTFM!  I had already perused those resources.   I think I

was not sufficiently clear in my earlier message.   My complaints with the

new attribute based bom handling are..

1.  If I have 15 2.2K resistors,  go into the schematic and add attributes

for price, Dk part number,  etc   the attributes are added to only one of

the parts.    With the old system I could have the bom sorted by component

value,  create some custom columns in the tsv file, add the information

once, and have it apply to all the components of the same value, footprint.

The only way I can see to work around this in the newer method is to have

to create a custom library for every project,  copy all the components used

in that project into the custom library, and then add the attributes in the

custom lib.  

2.  I was not meaning to imply that if I change a resistor package that the

new part would somehow magically have the correct attributes (other than

footprint).... but I could expect that it NOT have the attributes of the

part that was previously there which is what happens in 6.2.    In the old

bom handling method,   if I replace a 10K, 0805 with a 10K 0402, load the

tsv/database file  I will see nothing for the 0402 (unless it was already

in the tsv file).   This makes sense to me and when I find components in

the bom listing that have no Dk part number/cost/or other custom

information  I know to add it.

Cheers,

Jim

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

On 22/12/2013 3:49 a.m., James Littlefield wrote:

Hi Warren,

 

Thanks for the RTFM!

You're welcome, I have a whole heap of them to give out at Christmas.

   I had already perused those resources.   I think I

was not sufficiently clear in my earlier message.   My complaints with the

new attribute based bom handling are..

 

1.  If I have 15 2.2K resistors,  go into the schematic and add attributes

for price, Dk part number,  etc   the attributes are added to only one of

the parts.

Correct, adding an attribute in the schematic gives the selected named

part the attribute, not the device type.

  With the old system I could have the bom sorted by component

value,  create some custom columns in the tsv file, add the information

once, and have it apply to all the components of the same value, footprint.

Yes, the information is being added to the output of the ULP. That is

akin to adding it at a later date in a spreadsheet. The eagle design is

not being affected.

  The only way I can see to work around this in the newer method is to have

to create a custom library for every project,  copy all the components used

in that project into the custom library, and then add the attributes in the

custom lib.

Even if you have a single well maintained personal library folder from

which all your projects are drawn, it would be hell to maintain all the

part numbers for all resistor values in all package types. There have

been earlier discussions that attributes are not a desirable method of

referencing supplier part numbers. Going forward, a BOM/database

solution is needed.

 

2.  I was not meaning to imply that if I change a resistor package that the

new part would somehow magically have the correct attributes (other than

footprint).... but I could expect that it NOT have the attributes of the

part that was previously there which is what happens in 6.2.

The attributes that are there pertain to the named part on the

schematic, not the part in a library context(as said earlier). Any

attributes that were established in the library do change with the

arrival of a different part.

     In the old

bom handling method,   if I replace a 10K, 0805 with a 10K 0402, load the

tsv/database file  I will see nothing for the 0402 (unless it was already

in the tsv file).   This makes sense to me and when I find components in

the bom listing that have no Dk part number/cost/or other custom

information  I know to add it.

I like this method. It's simple.

Cheers,

Jim

 

First thoughts of modifying the ulp to import a TSV file and apply the

values as attributes runs into the problem you mentioned. If you change

the part, the attribute remains the same unless you run the BOM again

and import the TSV again. But if the TSV does not address the new part

name then it may retain the old erroneous part information unless all

fields for a given attribute are cleared initially.

So we are back to the old ULP, which works in v6.

Have you seen http://www.cadsoftusa.com/downloads/file/bom-ex156.zip

This effort by Bob Starr maybe of interest to you as it builds on your

preferred approach, uses attributes and extends to ordering automation.

All the best

Warren