How to keep track of your parts?

[Pooh Bear]

How do you guys keep track of your parts?

As long as you keep your zip closed they should be safe.


Graham ;-)

 

[Rolavine]

I've got, plastic multicompartment bins, small boxes, big boxes, spare parts
organized by type or by the project they were used in also in boxes, metal
multicompartment boxes holding parts for systems I've designed and sometimes
have assembly houses build for me, drawers full, boxes full of sweepings, at
least ten boxes with different connectors organized by type, two huge boxes
with smaller boxes in side holding hardware, and always an assortment of parts
that have migrated to the corners of my work bench. What a damn mess, sometime
when I have 6 months off I'm going to organize them, but wait if I actually had
6 months off I'd be living under a bridge. The funny thing is for a new project
I'll just order what I need from Digi Key rather than even looking through my
junk, lol.

Rocky

 

[VMI]

What a list of replies.
The guy wants a databas for his parts.
Here it is (29US$)
It cost a fraction of the components laying around and it tells you the
quantity, where they are, where they came from, the price, brand and so
on....
Look here:
http://www.glass-ware.com/programs/TCJ_Programs_files/TCJ_MyStockDB.htm
Cheers,
Marco

 

[Paul Burke]

Still, my major problem is not storing - it's recalling ;-)! I do have
general idea about where my resistors, caps and so forth are, but I seem
to spend frustratingly much time on verifying if I have a particular value
resistor or cap or else. This is where I think some kind of software
database might be a big help.

Resistors and most-used caps in drawer units (little ones, 3 values to a
drawer). Most used ICs etc. in drawer units. You can see the drawer
units, so you can't forget where they are. Everything else bought for
the occasion, it's not worth the time and effort of remembering where
they are. Clear out periodically and give the sweepings to the school
electronics club.

Think of the time you'll spend setting up and maintaining the database.
How many resistors did I get out for that quick and dirty try-out? And a
database that's out of date is, m'Lud, a Snare and a Delusion.

Paul Burke

 

[Terry Given]

John Larkin wrote:





Thank you for the suggestion, John.
Surface mount components are especially difficult to store properly. I
think I will take your suggestion and will keep different the little parts
of the tapes in small envelopes so if anything comes loose, it does not
fly away or get inhaled by somebody.

Still, my major problem is not storing - it's recalling ;-)! I do have
general idea about where my resistors, caps and so forth are, but I seem
to spend frustratingly much time on verifying if I have a particular value
resistor or cap or else. This is where I think some kind of software
database might be a big help.

I keep looking.

I have just organised my entire parts collection. I went to a couple of
photo stores and got some empty film cannisters, which were free (and
are antistatic). I also bought 4 rolls of 200 permanent adhesive labels,
and hand-wrote a description (eg 4k99 1% 0603) , then arranged them in
some semblance of order. I also bought 200 rectangular plastic jars
($0.50) for the bigger stuff.

Every different part now has a place (I have about 12 different 100n
caps). Having everything in order means I dont spend much time looking
for things, which used to consume an inordinate amount of time - time I
can now waste online

And of course if it aint there, I aint got it. Rolodex? Nah. Take the
lid off when its empty, you can then see at a glance if you have any.

Cheers
Terry

 

[Terry Given]

I'm not Rene (but I think that's a dang good idea).

What could be done would be to use a setup like MySQL or PostreSQL for
the database and use PHP as the glue between the query language and the
web page creation.

ROTFLMAO!

Perhaps a neural net...

Cheers
Terry

 

[Terry Given]

Lots and lots and lots of little drawers. The components naturally fall into
similar groups so can be near each other.
Reading the other replies I'm now a bit worried as to my sanity, cos I
remember near every part I have and where it's stored. Can lay my hands on
stuff I haven't used for years.
It's like owning an art collection. If you need a database to tell you where
the works of art are stored away, then why bother buying 'em in the first
place
regards
john

Snap. I remember what I have too, but poor organisation in the past has
meant hours wasted looking for where it is (hundreds of little bags
dumped in box files). Life is a breeze now I finally took the time to
put things into logical, rather than diabolical, order.

Cheers
Terry

 

[Mark Zenier]

A downside with physical cards is
ambiguity. For example, you may think that you are short of 2N2907
because the card says there are two left but your prototype needs five.
Then, way at the other end of the rolodex there is a card showing dozens
of PMBT2907. Same thing, different manufacturer. A database would find
those.

For my hobby parts inventory, I use a 4x6 card for each generic part,
listing a line for each full number, quantity, and location. That way
you can design with what's in your parts boxes, with the substitutes
already listed.

Mark Zenier [email protected] Washington State resident

 

[Joerg]

Hi John,

The coin envelopes *are* the cards!

That only works for SMT. I remember a friend who used envelopes for DIP
packages as well. One day he fumbled through them, let off a terrible
yell, pulled his hand out and had a pin wedged under a fingernail,
effectively tacking the envelope to the finger.

Regards, Joerg

 

[Joerg]

Hi Jim,

I thought all your parts were on a hard disk and scalable ;-)

Regards, Joerg

 

[Jim Thompson]

Hi Jim,

I thought all your parts were on a hard disk and scalable ;-)

Regards, Joerg

Yep. But I still maintain a healthy parts bin for "G-jobs" ;-)

...Jim Thompson

 

[Dmitri]

VMI wrote:

What a list of replies.
The guy wants a databas for his parts.
Here it is (29US$)
It cost a fraction of the components laying around and it tells you the
quantity, where they are, where they came from, the price, brand and so
on....
Look here:
http://www.glass-ware.com/programs/TCJ_Programs_files/TCJ_MyStockDB.htm
Cheers,
Marco

Thanks, Marco!
This is as close to what I thought of as it can be. I'll definitely take a
closer look at this software.
Thanks again.

--
Dmitri Abaimov, RCDD
http://www.cabling-design.com
Cabling Forum, color codes, pinouts and other useful resources for
premises cabling users and pros
http://www.cabling-design.com/homecabling
Residential Cabling Guide
-------------------------------------






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[Dmitri]

Rolavine wrote:

I've got, plastic multicompartment bins, small boxes, big boxes, spare
parts
organized by type or by the project they were used in also in boxes,
metal
multicompartment boxes holding parts for systems I've designed and
sometimes
have assembly houses build for me, drawers full, boxes full of
sweepings, at
least ten boxes with different connectors organized by type, two huge
boxes
with smaller boxes in side holding hardware, and always an assortment
of parts
that have migrated to the corners of my work bench. What a damn mess,
sometime
when I have 6 months off I'm going to organize them, but wait if I
actually had
6 months off I'd be living under a bridge. The funny thing is for a new
project
I'll just order what I need from Digi Key rather than even looking
through my
junk, lol.

Rocky

I'm quickly approaching the state of (dis) order that you've just
described ;-) This is actually what compelled me to reach out to see if
someone's got a solution. BTW, Digi-key may get a bit too expensive, so I
ended up using eBay most of the time. The problem with eBay though - you
rarely get to buy a single part, and rather a lot, which tends to be even
more expensive that Digi-Key unless you have to use the same parts in a
different project. That, in turn, makes the problem of properly
inventorying the parts even more important. So, I set out to find a way
that works for a hobbyists. Will post here what I dig out.
Thanks for all posted here!

--
Dmitri Abaimov, RCDD
http://www.cabling-design.com
Cabling Forum, color codes, pinouts and other useful resources for
premises cabling users and pros
http://www.cabling-design.com/homecabling
Residential Cabling Guide
-------------------------------------



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[Chaos Master]

Rich Webb is, and always will be:

I'm not Rene (but I think that's a dang good idea).

What could be done would be to use a setup like MySQL or PostreSQL for
the database and use PHP as the glue between the query language and the
web page creation.

I think this can be done, not as a webpage, using MS Access.
Then you can have the queries, reports...

IIRC, MS Access 2000 has an ActiveX component that allows to access
database from webpage.

I can't try here because my MS-Office install is broken and I have only a
MS Office 97 license, anyway.

[]s

 

[Paul Hovnanian P.E.]

I'm not Rene (but I think that's a dang good idea).

What could be done would be to use a setup like MySQL or PostreSQL for
the database and use PHP as the glue between the query language and the
web page creation.

If you use PHP and the perl DBI module, there is a database 'plugin' for
comma seperated files (look for DBD-CSV on CPAN). Instead of running the
full MySQL, it just makes a comma seperated file lokk like a database,
with selects and other stuff.

 

[Andrew VK3BFA]

How do you guys keep track of your parts?

I mean, pros probably don't have that problem by keeping the entire stock
of resistors and caps and what have you in bunch of tightly packed
cabinets. But for a hobbyist: does anyone have a system that works? I'm
only re-starting my electronics hobby after 15 some years of dormancy, and
after few months I already have (tens of?) thousands of parts, hundreds of
values, in different packages. I might be less organized than your normal
human being, but a significant portion of time for a project I usually
spend trying to find a part, and then procure the ones I can't find (which
does not mean I don't have them ;-)) This must be an issue with anyone
else and I'm trying to see if there has been some kind of solution found
before I start to re-invent the wheel.

Is there software of some kind where you'd keep a database of parts you
have, that's geared towards hobbyists or maybe small businesses?
--
Dmitri Abaimov, RCDD
http://www.cabling-design.com
Cabling Forum, color codes, pinouts and other useful resources for
premises cabling users and pros
http://www.cabling-design.com/homecabling
Residential Cabling Guide
-------------------------------------

This is a head question rather than an organisational question - any
number of ways work, its finding the will/ability to do it thats hard.
If you work for someone, then the storeman does it, you just tell him
what you want. If you work for yourself, your stuffed. I throw
everything into a plastic crate on the bench as it comes in - use what
I want for the job at hand, then forget them. Every few/12 months it
gets so chaotic I do a sort of sort and put them in boxes (if I can
find the box). (Still cant find my 9" angle grinder....) Things that
defy classification get thrown in big plastic boxes labelled RF,
Audio, semis, junk, tubes, to be stripped someday, might be useful,
dont know what this is/cant remember etc. Same for gear that has died
- lives in piles on the floor - if I store it away, then will be
forgotten for ever. But thats OK - the kids can organise a big skip to
the tip when I die. Back of the van is a good place to store stuff as
well - when van space needed, transfer to side of garage, when wife
complains, stall, make excuses, then finally sort out and strip/throw
in bin.

Given up looking for resistors, have drawers labelled in values, but
spend too much time looking. Never have value/wattage needed anyway.
Go up the street and spend $1 to buy new ones. Lot quicker.

Garden shed is useful too - store spare parts for WW2 bomber radios
there. (plus audio stuff that needs "just a bit more work/parts" , old
VCR's for parts etc) When cant get in or cant get lawn mower out, then
sort out and throw excess in garbage bin.

Not much hope, is there - if you were an organised, methodical person
(I am told they do exist, somewhere) then you wouldnt be asking the
question. Good luck...

73 de VK3BFA Andrew

 

[Rene Tschaggelar]

Hi Rene,




Interesting. Can that web page sort? For example, if you wanted to know
which different types of Schmitt trigger chips you have on hand, or what
kinds of FETs in SOT23 package, could it list that for you?

Joerg,
I'm just a small developer and cannot have too many parts. So
the list FETs is less than a page, the list of OpAmps is a bit longer
and therfore split into manufacturers and sorted alphabetically each.
However to each part, the specifications are listed.

The html-file is handeditable with notepad.

Rene

 

[Frank Bemelman]

The little stuff, especially surface mount, stores nicely in coin
envelopes. You can write all kinds of stuff on them and store lots of
them in small cardboard or plastic parts-shelf bins. Coin envelopes
only cost a couple of cents each.

Has the advantage that it doesn't crash too, is easy to 'tweak' etc.
And the sorting rules are flexible. Can be mixed with other techniques,
plastic bags v.s. paper bags, tubes, reels, etc. Sort of the half-organized
inconsequent mess that I have now

 

[Klaus Vestergaard Kragelund]

How do you guys keep track of your parts?

I programmed a VB application some years back to allow for searching for a
part. Output is a number and that number is found on the drawer og box

Advantage back then of this system was that I added number of parts in each
drawer and when I have done a project in my layout program (Protel), I just
export the BOM and the application automagically decreases the part counts
in the relevant positions accordingly

Well, it took 5 days to program, so perhaps today I actually have gained
time using it

Cheers

Klaus