{"id":1595,"date":"2017-09-06T08:00:11","date_gmt":"2017-09-06T15:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/eagle\/blog\/?p=1595"},"modified":"2023-09-25T11:33:07","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T18:33:07","slug":"escape-frustration-pcb-library-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/escape-frustration-pcb-library-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Escape Frustration PCB Library Work: SamacSys Open Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Escape the Frustration of PCB Library Work: An Open Letter from Our Friends at SamacSys<\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n

Frustration and library management are like \u201cpeas and carrots.\u201d Whether you\u2019re spending hours making your own parts or worrying about the quality of parts someone else made, the entire library management process is ripe with frustration. This isn\u2019t a new frustration by any means. We\u2019ve been struggling with library management issues for as long as ECAD software has existed (even before…remember those decal books?). What we all want to know is how to take the frustration out of the process. Our friends at SamacSys, a leading software developer for ECAD component data, might just have the answer. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the desk of a frustrated engineer,<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most common frustrations faced by engineers over the past few decades has been managing component model libraries within our ECAD tools. For every individual component, the basic ingredients necessary to incorporate it into a design are the schematic symbol and the PCB footprint. For such fundamental and critical requirements of the electronics design process, it would seem a sensible notion that the industry has a well-honed solution, enabling designers to obtain any necessary component models quickly and easily. But if you\u2019re a regular ECAD user, no matter what your tool of choice happens to be, you\u2019ll recognise that sourcing these essential elements for newer components can be one of the most laborious and time-wasting parts of your day!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The industry has struggled with this issue for over 30 years. The combination of new product introductions from component manufacturers, coupled with format wars between ECAD tool vendors chasing world domination has conspired to create a conundrum. How can designers get perfect, working models in the right format while component manufacturers continue to produce new parts and models? Of course, solutions do exist, but each approach tends to rely heavily on additional effort from a particular party within the industry:  <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n