Searchable (numeric) properties of components

[Andras Fuchs]

Application: kicad
Version: 4.0.1-stable release build
wxWidgets: Version 3.0.2 (debug,wchar_t,compiler with C++ ABI 1009,GCC 5.2.0,wx containers,compatible with 2.8)
Platform: Windows 8 (build 9200), 64-bit edition, 64 bit, Little endian, wxMSW
Boost version: 1.57.0
         USE_WX_GRAPHICS_CONTEXT=OFF
         USE_WX_OVERLAY=OFF
         KICAD_SCRIPTING=ON
         KICAD_SCRIPTING_MODULES=ON
         KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON=ON
         USE_FP_LIB_TABLE=HARD_CODED_ON
         BUILD_GITHUB_PLUGIN=ON

Many components have many numeric values which are important when we design a board.

For example all ADC's have bitrate, sps, Vcc range, etc. values.
It would be useful to add these properties as name + value + unit pairs to the description of the component.

A few value suggestions:
text: component category
text: manufactured by
url: general information page
url: datasheet pdf
number: min Vcc (Volt)
number: max Vcc (Volt)
number: sample frequency (sps)
number: bitrate (bit)
number: channel

This would make an excellent source of information about the components and a possibility to implement a great search engine which would help the designing process greatly.

To see such a search engine in place, check http://tme.eu

[Chris Pavlina (pavlina-chris)]

I've thought about this before... I keep semi-standardized fields in descriptions in my own libraries, wouldn't mind if they were numerically searchable https://github.com/cpavlina/kicad-schlib/blob/master/DESCR.md

[Andras Fuchs (andras-fuchs)]

Exactly!

Could you consider adding some extra fields on the Library Editor's component properties dialog's description tab?

Adding a category dropdown list would allow us to define the "semi-standard"/optional, but expected fields, depending on the category of the component.

Below that we could have a table like on the schematic editor's "component properties" dialog, where the user could fill the typical values (and their units).

Ideally they would generate separate fields in the .lib files, but if it generated standardized descriptions like you mentioned, that would be nice too!

[Jeff Young (jeyjey)]

This should also support things like changing R{number} to R? so that a subset can be reannotated.

[KiCad Janitor (kicad-janitor)]

KiCad bug tracker has moved to Gitlab. This report is now available here: https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/issues/2015