Re: gEDA-user: Master Parts List

[Bob Paddock <bob.paddock@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Monday 26 February 2007 17:17, John Luciani wrote:
> I am putting together a master parts list table for my component
> database.

> The categories CAP, RES, IND, DIO, LED, BAT, etc. would work.

Don't try to force inventory into a category system.  It makes sense
in the beginning when you only have a few parts,
but has your system/business grows it rapidly falls apart.  May Heaven
help you if there is a buy out/acquisition, where two category based
systems collide.

Consider an  multifunction widget.  What category do
you put it in?  You end up with a "Misc" category, which rapidly grows.

Assign non-significant part numbers to each part, such as 00001 for the first
part, or perhaps related to date&time.   That part number
appears in BOM.  That part number is the referenced throughout
to print the fields of interest, at the point of interest.  The purchasing
department has vastly different interests in some fields than,
do the people in the warehouse, or the engineering department.

> For example a 330pf 1% X7R ceramic cap in an 0805 package could be
> CAP_X7R-331-102-0805

Playing devils advocate here:  Does the above part number tell you
if you can substituted a part of "form/fit/function"?  Has that part
been used in a regulator drawings; think FDA?  If it has you can't
change substitute it even if it meets "form/fit/function" etc.
To make matters worse has it been used in more than one regulatory
environment like both FDA and MSHA?  Did some bureaucrat just
come up with some new regulation that cuts across all categories;
think Lead Free?

> A few other caps --- CAP_NPO, CAP_AE (aluminum electrolytic)
> Cap arrays --- CAPCAV, CAPCAX, CAPCAF
> 
> For ICs maybe IC_AMP, IC_LDO, IC_74LVC138, etc. Some sort of package
> suffix convention is needed.

I think your already seeing why the category system fails as it expands.

There are several Open Source ERP systems these days, take a look
at them.  I'm still doing that myself.

From the Been There Done That "Category" with 175,000+ parts,
at my former place of employment.

-- 
 http://www.softwaresafety.net/ http://www.designer-iii.com/
                 http://www.unusualresearch.com/


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