I started looking in database based libraries for our small-ish company. Our usecase here is mostly that we mostly use the same basic parts with the same MPNs and it became a hassle to manage that in the classic way. Hence my idea with database based libraries.
The setup of the actual database seems easy enough. The documentation is fine (I also found this example and this as well) and there are already quite a few forum posts regarding this.
But I’m totally lost on the interface side. I need some way to manage the actual database. The simplest solution would be a tool like phpmyadmin that allows me to edit the database entries manually, but this seems like a stupid solution.
While doing my research I found this forum thread that seems to point me in the correct direction. InvenTree sounds like the correct tool for our use case, especially with an addon such as Ki-nTree that adds integration with major part sellers and KiCad itself. There is also PartKeepr but it seems like this tool is deprecated.
But now to the part where I’m completely lost. How do I combine such a tool with the KiCad database library feature? Is the InvenTree database compatible? I guess not. Should I use a database view to map the InvenTree database to a KiCad compatible database? This seems a bit wrong and hacky to me.
Ki-nTree seems to use a different approach as it generates KiCad libary files the “oldschool” way without using the KiCad database feature at all. But I might be missing something here.
A Ki-nTree issue also mentions the HTTP library support coming in KiCad 8 and maybe supporting it. Maybe this would be the right approach to this problem?
As an honorable mention, I also found Kicad DB lib. But as far as I can tell it doesn’t do what I want from it, despite its name.
Long story short, how do you solved my issue? Is a database library the right solution? Or is the “oldschool” way the way to go here? Maybe I have to wait for HTTP library support? Or is there something else?
I’m happy for any pointer in the right direction. Thank you!
Ok, maybe an update. Right after finishing this post I found PartDB. It seems to me that this is the best approach for our use case and it should work as soon as KiCad 8 is released.
But I’m still very open to any suggestions from you.
I’m using PostgreSQL as component database. To manage the database, I just use the PostgreSQL’s tool pgAdmin. I never feel that I need anything more than that or anything specially done for managing or linked to KiCad’s library. I’m far from being a SQL expert, but for the operations like adding, deleting, changing data, it’s simple enough.
That was how I wanted to do it in the beginning as well, but I like the InvenTree approach. Especially since we can also use it to keep track of our parts in storage. Thanks though!
Long Long Ago I started using Parts & Vendors. Great tool but it was never revamped as the world changed. As an EE doing jobs I need something and since I wrote a lot of Delphi code I wrote even MORE Delphi code!
I spent several years playing with a replacement more closely tied to PCB design and BOM generation. You can look at www.partsync.com. I have free installs and written manuals.
Take a look, it is 100% free and I digitally sign things for security.