Feature Highlight: BOM Import
PartsBox can import a BOM (Bill of Materials) from a number of CAD/eCAD packages, in CSV or TSV format.
Presets are currently defined for:
- KiCad (free) (How to Generate a BOM from KiCad)
- Altium Designer
- Autodesk EAGLE
There is also a "Custom" setting which allows for manual mapping of CSV columns to PartsBox fields, as well as for setting the field separator.
Together, these settings should allow for interoperability with any CAD package that is capable of exporting a CSV BOM.
Importing from KiCad is free for everyone, while all the other presets are available in commercial plans only.
After importing a BOM into PartsBox, each line has to be matched to a specific part. If the BOM part name is the same as a PartsBox part name, this will be done automatically. However, if a part with the same name can't be found, you will need to do the matching yourself. You can either select an existing PartsBox part, or create a new one and match it to the BOM entry.
In PartsBox, BOM entries are not limited to parts. You can add services or labor, like PCB assembly, testing, or packaging. These can have offers attached just like parts, which allows for pricing of the entire production, not just the parts. Offers for service/labor BOM entries are similar to part offers: they also support multiple price breaks, MOQs, can have expiration dates, and can be in any supported currency.