Show HN: Build circuit boards faster with computer vision

Hi HN!<p>As a team of 10 electrical engineers at SnapEDA, we know how frustrating it is to gather all the data (like symbols &amp; footprints) needed to make a circuit board. Although we’ve built up a large database on SnapEDA, there may be times when the part you need can’t be found.<p>That’s why today we’re launching InstaBuild! InstaBuild is based on the underlying technology we use internally to make parts, and we’re releasing it today as a free tool to the engineering community.<p>We used a computer vision framework that&#x27;s a bit more sophisticated than OCR (which we also used) because we detect cell placement and table lines to properly extract data<p>Here’s how it works:<p>1. The tool extracts pin data from datasheets. It tries to understand the function of each pin (in&#x2F;our&#x2F;power, etc.), and then auto-configures the symbol based on our published symbol standards.<p>2. We then map the symbol to a verified, IPC-compliant footprint.<p>3. The part is ready to download to your desired PCB design software format (ex: Eagle, Altium, KiCad, Cadence, Mentor, etc.).<p>Would love to get feedback on where we should take this next. Thanks HN!

Tried looking up some parts I use. The footprint for a surface mount MOSFET (IRL530NS) was totally weird, with the wrong number of pads.[1] LT3750 was fine, although the schematic symbol was very wide for no good reason, and didn&#x27;t have pin numbers. (Put pin numbers on the schematic symbols. Users need to be able to easily check that you got it right. Especially with parts like transistors, which have pins named EBC or GDS, instead of numbers, and no standardization of pin order.)<p>Coilcraft DA2032, a transformer with a nonstandard footprint, was fine. CPC1510G was fine, with the proper skinny pads. IE0515S, which is four inline pins, only shows two pins on the image.[2]<p>No models: toggle switch (M2012SA2W40), phone jack (SN37A12A), push button (BB15AH-FA).<p>Overall impression: this thing has a set of common footprints and footprints from vendors, and matches them up with part numbers. Useful, but check what it gives you.<p>[1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.snapeda.com&#x2F;parts&#x2F;IRL530NSTRLPBF&#x2F;Infineon&#x2F;view-part&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.snapeda.com&#x2F;parts&#x2F;IRL530NSTRLPBF&#x2F;Infineon&#x2F;view-p...</a> [2] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.snapeda.com&#x2F;parts&#x2F;IE0515S&#x2F;XP" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.snapeda.com&#x2F;parts&#x2F;IE0515S&#x2F;XP</a> Power&#x2F;view-part&#x2F;

The value here is in the footprint library. The question is whether it is any good. Footprints have lots of subtle issues, especially as the pin spacing gets very tight.<p>(I soldered some 0.5mm spacing pins earlier this evening. This works much better since I modified the footprint to not have any pad area under the raised part of the gull wing leads. This prevents solder bridges which are firmly attached to a pad under the raised leads. Those are tough to remove.)

Well, if all chip manufacturers made jtag bsdl files for their parts then no one would need this. But since few do, thanks, very cool innovation!

Cool idea, though I personally don’t spend a time of time making footprints or symbols. Most of it is spent actually doing the design. When I do create a schematic symbol, I read the entire data sheet, not just the I&#x2F;O section. Often, the symbol will be drawn multiple ways, depending on how the part is being used and how the support components are connected. As an example, many Linear Technology parts have several symbols for the same part.<p>Once you have a big, personal library of parts, it’s usually copying one and modifying it slightly. Better yet to reuse as much form the previous designs as possible since the part has been proven in.

This might not be the right place to post this, but I&#x27;ll give it a shot. What should I read and what exercises should I do to learn more about electronic design? I&#x27;m a software developer and I have a very basic understanding of electronics (simple components, ac&#x2F;dc, etc) and I have played with an arduino before, but I&#x27;d like to take a more systematic approach to learning. I&#x27;d like to work my way up to designing a headphone amplifier&#x2F;equalizer, but it seems overwhelming to get started in this field.

I read the title of the article and thought, oh, but of course! You put your SMD components on a flatbed scanner and the software identifies the legs and creates the correct footprint automatically. Ah. Not that. :-)

The only time I&#x27;ve needed to build a custom footprint (not from a library) was for parts that I had to physically measure with calipers. For anything even remotely standard (transistor in standard package, integrated circuit, SMT resistor&#x2F;capacitor&#x2F;diode and such) the library symbols will be fine. Unless you don&#x27;t like their style or whatever; you want rounder or sharper corners on pads or what have you.