PartsBox.io -- A good parts inventory management solution - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: whalphen
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2016, 02:31:28 pm
content: I do volunteer work for local schools at the middle and high school levels where we teach students about electronics and radio communications. We are heavily focused on hands-on work, so we work with the students to design, develop, build, and program electronics projects. Maintaining a large inventory of parts for many projects has been difficult and we've sometimes run short of parts, resulting in expensive rush orders. So I recently set out to find an inventory tool to solve the problem.There are few options for hobbyist or small scale users in this space. After researching a number of alternatives, PartsBox, from PartsBox.io, was selected. I want to share a summary of the experience so far in case others in the EEVblog community are looking for a way to manage their parts inventory...The product is structured around three main objects: Parts, Storage locations, and Projects. Parts and Storage locations can be defined by the user. Parts can optionally be linked to external pre-defined records with extensive information, including datasheets. The easiest way to create a part (and a great time saver) is to simply search the external database and link to the part if it's there already. Projects are defined by the user and then a list of parts are selected to include them in a project definition.It's web based and runs from any PC, tablet, or smartphone with a modern browser. And the database and server are provided, so there's no need to build or maintain those. A web based solution is especially useful when you need to have multiple people access the information using multiple computers in different locations. I especially like being able to refer to the inventory while doing design work in my office and then have access to the database while while using different computers when in my basement or at the school receiving or dispensing parts.The user interface is simple, intuitive, and SMOOTH! The pages are not cluttered. The information you need is there where you expect it and need it. The search functionality is especially nice. As you type in your search term, the results list updates on the fly and presents exact matches as well as partial matches -- listed with the best matches at the top. Although there is the ability to tag parts with search terms, I've found very little need for the tags as the search finds any match in the part name or description. Finding a part is fast and easy.In addition to the basic part information that can be entered, I've found that the Notes fields can hold multiple URLs making it easy to link parts to datasheets and documents. So, once you've located the part, you can jump right to the datasheet or to your own documents. This works for Projects as well. For example, you can add a URL linking directly to your git repository.Now that I have all the parts in the PartsBox inventory, it's a simple matter to know if we are ready to build a project. I can enter the quantity to be built, and PartsBox lets me know if we have enough parts and what needs to be ordered. If it shows that we're running low on a part, it's simple to check in alternative storage locations or to drill in to the part details to start investigating substitutes.As I add stock, cost information can be recorded and I add the supplier and invoice information in the comments field. That way I can always refer back to the purchase information when I prepare my expense reports later.I'm addicted! The more I use this tool, the more I like it. Although I initially thought the tool would be too simplistic and limited, my experience has shown otherwise. It's not an ERP suite. It's a parts inventory solution. It's stripped down to just what's needed for parts management. And it's done with a comfortable user interface that won't tie you down to one computer. The PartsBox.io founder, Jan Rychter, has done an excellent design. He also continues to add features and has further development planned. I hope he will commit to keeping it free for hobbyist and non-profit users while he commercializes it.If you keep a parts inventory for your hobby, school, shop, or business, take a close look at this solution. And try it out -- you'll really appreciate it once you use it because then you'll discover the smoothness and simplistic elegance of the user interface as it flows from task to task.Will HalphenK8VFO

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2016, 03:34:24 pm
content: where is the data stored ? in the cloud ? there is no cloud.... it's just someone else's computer ...i want my data locally stored. i'm ok if the system goes to the internet to pull in additional information. but my stock should be stored as a local file. in a human readable format ...

author: jwr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2016, 03:49:11 pm
content: Hi, PartsBox founder here. Thanks for the kind words, I'm very glad that some of my design assumptions resonate with people who use the software. I deliberately focus on core functionality first, and try to make it work well and fast. I wrote PartsBox for myself first and I use it every day.As for the local data — yeah, I share the feeling. I also prefer to store my data locally. But these days it simply isn't an option: there is no way I can sustainably develop an application for all the operating systems that people use (it would have to work on Mac, Linux, Windows, and also Android and iOS devices). It simply can't be done. A webapp was the only way. I did my best to try to alleviate the cloud-data problem, though — you can always instantly export and download everything you entered into PartsBox with a single click, in machine- and human-readable JSON. I plan to provide other export formats in the future. I never, ever want to hold your data hostage. It's your data, not mine.Anyway — PartsBox development might have seemed slow recently, because I'm working on commercial plans and dealing with credit cards and subscriptions is a major pain, so it is taking longer than I expected. Once I get through this, things will go faster. And this upcoming version already has lots of improvements: as an example, every open session gets updated in real-time, so you will never see stale data (no need to reload).Have fun and enjoy,--Jan

author: whalphen
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2016, 03:50:58 pm
content: Yes, the database is in the "cloud". That can be viewed as a risk. (However, I know of more cases of data lost on local computers than on cloud systems.) As the product is commercialized, I'm sure there will have to be robust data security in place. At the time I recently retired from a large global company, many of the databases were being transitioned to third party "cloud" systems. That seems to be the evolutionary path. Of course data security and quality of service have to be addressed appropriately. But that's the case even with local storage.The PartsBox database can be exported to a local file as a backup. That's what I do. The backup is in JSON format, but can be converted to csv format using readily available tools. If the PartsBox service were to be lost or shutdown, I would need to spend some time moving the data to another solution. But that would likely mean I would have to build and maintain a server -- which is one of the reasons I decided to go with PartsBox to begin with. Life is full of tradeoffs.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2016, 03:54:19 pm
content: can i return the json file ?i do not want to go through a web interface every time to add parts. too much clicking...a simple CSV upload would be highly desirable. as i already have 8000+ parts in that format ...

author: whalphen
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2016, 04:19:22 pm
content: That could be a lot of typing! In my case I had no inventory data, so I typed it all in. I noticed that PartsBox can help you get it loaded if it's currently in a PartKeepr database. My guess is that they could potentially help you with other formats, but it may be work you would have to pay for. Or, if you do some research on the PartKeepr database structure and convert it to that format, you may be able to get it loaded.

author: vinicius.jlantunes
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2016, 04:38:37 pm
content: Just for reference, here is an old thread where we discussed Partsbox.io.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/partsbox-io-(parts-manager-web-based-tool)/

author: voltsandjolts
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 24, 2016, 06:17:17 pm
content: 'Cloud' services always make me nervous that:(A) My data might disappear(B) The exact opposite; my data might become available to everybodyI have made (A) happen all by myself but, so far, not (B)

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2016, 08:48:44 pm
content: QuoteIn the interest of brevity, <insert some sailor swearing words and other innapropriate forum behaviour here>

author: eugenenine
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2016, 09:04:37 pm
content: Quote from: jwr on October 24, 2016, 03:49:11 pmThere are many open source cross platform applications that say otherwise.If your going to use a cloud based service at least make sure it has a local sync copy. Many things can happen between you and the 'cloud', your local internet can drop, the cloud service can go down, a ddos attack on dns servers can prevent you from getting there, etc.

author: timb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2016, 11:57:54 pm
content: Quote from: eugenenine on October 24, 2016, 09:04:37 pmYes, most modern browsers allow "local storage" for web apps.However, PartsBox.io allows you to export your data in a text format, so there's really no issue with it being "in the cloud" as it were.That said, making cross platform applications is pretty easy these days. Especially if you're used to writing a web app! There are frameworks that allow Node.JS and other Web 2.0 languages to be rolled up and deployed as applications across Mac, Linux and Windows. The code editor Atom is a good example of this.Finally, don't worry about free_electron; he's a cranky old man who doesn't like anything.

author: jwr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2016, 08:08:43 am
content: Hi,While I'm sure everyone who used the word "easy" has already written a cross-platform application, deployed it on several operating systems (both desktop and mobile), and found it easy and cheap to develop and maintain, I have to accept my reality. "It can't be done" was a mental shortcut: anything can be done given sufficient time, manpower and budget. But there is no way *I* could sustainably do this myself, given how much people are willing to pay for the software afterwards.But, I'm not here to defend my decisions: I'm sure PartsBox isn't for everyone! Some people get by with a spreadsheet, some use other online apps, some remember all the parts that they have, and some simply discard whatever is left after building, and do not keep any stock! So, use whatever works for youAs to practicalities: the current JSON export is there to ensure that you can always get your data, and in the worst case (if PartsBox were to be discontinued, for example), write your own application that starts from there. No, there is no round-tripping right now, because ensuring data integrity on import is a lot of work. Importing is difficult, especially if you consider that PartsBox has a fairly complex model (e.g. a part can be stored in multiple storage locations, with different prices for each batch/lot, there are simple local parts, but also "linked" parts which link to globally unique octopart ids, etc). So, while I do intend to expand import options, that's something lower on the list. For commercial users, I plan to offer a "data import service", where for a one-time fee I will take any data in any format and make sure it gets imported correctly. For non-commercial users, there will be import options, but later.cheers!--J.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2016, 07:10:18 pm
content: import should not be complicated. all it needs to do is read 3 columns- manufacturer- manufacturer part number- locationi'd love to use partsbox because it finds me datasheets etc ... i like the setup of the system. just the lack of data import is a no-fly...also BOM import. how do you do that ? bill of materials are again same thing : manufacturer , manufacturer part number. the bom builder can then scoure what i have and what no and help me find it as in : which distributor has these parts ( through octopart)the bom importer simply needs to read the following fieldsmanufacturer, manufacturer part number, designator.attach the bom to a project name.from those simple 3 columns all can be created.

author: timb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2016, 07:47:06 pm
content: Quote from: free_electron on October 25, 2016, 07:10:18 pmSo, you're going to hand-type your parts list/BOM in a three column CSV format? If so, why not just type it into PartsBox to begin with! Or is that the export format of some specific program?Different programs export data in different formats: JSON, CSV, TSV and binary, not to mention all the different versions of XLS over the years. Even if you have two programs that both export, say, CSV files, they most likely won't be arranged in the same way; that is the number of and naming of columns will be complete different.So, you'd have to write the import routine to handle all these file formats. On top of that, you have to create a system that lets the user map the columns of their import file to the categories in PartsBox.On top of all that, you have to be careful when writing the imported data to the DB: It's one thing to import a dataset into an empty database; it's something entirely different to import that data into an existing database. You've got to create what essentially amounts to a "sync" system, so you don't overwrite existing data.Creating a reliable, robust and easy to use import system is nowhere near as easy as you make it out to be. I've been involved with a few projects that had to implement this type of functionality in the past, so I've got some experience with this type of thing.

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2016, 02:48:44 am
content: I would suggest that have another field called coordinate, to complement the location,For exampleDrawer 7 , X 2 Y 5Same location ( for example a drawer ) can hold hundreds of parts must be a way to select the accurate place

author: Mr.B
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 26, 2016, 03:10:58 am
content: Quote from: ebclr on October 26, 2016, 02:48:44 amI have been using PartsBox for a while now.I like it and it serves me as a hobbyist well.The location of a part is all about how you build your location descriptor.For example:SRb01z8r01c06Store Room, box 1, layer 8, row 1, column 6MWb24z3r03c09Main Workshop, box 24, layer 3, row 3, column 9

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2016, 01:23:56 pm
content: On the free version you can save 2000 parts but only 400 locations ?Do this have sense?I guess 2000 parts will need 2000 locations, or 400 locations and 5 coordinates, otherwise you can save only 400 parts with unique locations and have a 5 piece mess on each location

author: whalphen
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2016, 01:44:06 pm
content: I've found that keeping separate location definitions for each and every part is tedious and not necessary. I use an approach like storage location = Drawer 7. Within the actual drawer, I can keep each bin labeled for each specific part. So, if PartsBox lets me know the part is in Drawer 7, all I have to do is open Drawer 7 and I can find the part.

author: Mr.B
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 26, 2016, 06:42:35 pm
content: Quote from: ebclr on October 26, 2016, 01:23:56 pmHmmm...I was not aware of that limitation when I first signed up.Perhaps the rules have changed since then.I may have to re-think my locations strategy.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2016, 11:33:33 pm
content: Quote from: timb on October 25, 2016, 07:47:06 pmnope. simple CSV file exported directly from the CAD software.Quoteblaaablaaa. load in excel, massage , save as csv.Quoteno you dont. simple csv file. split lines on , read only first 3 columns , throw away rest. give user no options. fixed column order.Quoteif manu/manu part number exists : flag warning ,skip and continue. spit out report file with parts that failed. those need revisiting by hand.don't see what the problem is.

author: jwr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2016, 12:31:08 pm
content: Hi,Don't worry about the part/storage limits too much. They are only there to indicate that I didn't promise "unlimited" and to give me leverage once Foxconn signs up and starts keeping all of their inventory in PartsBox for free :-) The limits aren't enforced right now and I'll raise them as needed. Or perhaps remove the mention altogether, because it only creates confusion.As to storage location planning, here's an excerpt from the FAQ which might be helpful:QuotePersonally, I use the chess-grid arrangement for most of my boxes, so I have locations like b01-a1, b02-a2, b02-b1, etc. and each of these contains several components. I don't think I'd ever want to have one location per component.--J.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2016, 03:43:38 pm
content: i use a different schemeparts are stored in little antistatic bags ( i bought a case of 20.000 )every bag has a sequence number.Axxxx = analog ( a/d/da )Cxxxx = cmosDxxxx = diodeTxxxx= ttlQxxxx= TransistorPxxxx= processors CPU / MCUMxxxx = memoriesO = opampsthese bags fit in boxes. the box will say A0000 to A0075The boxes go in drawersdone.

author: Bryan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 30, 2016, 10:17:12 pm
content: Created account and playing around with it, couple comments. It does not work with Windows 10 Edge browser, could not create account, had to use the back button to navigate to the create account page, even then it would not allow me to create a account (Authentication failed). Had to use IE11 to create account and log in.

author: jwr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 05, 2016, 12:13:43 pm
content: @Bryan — it should work with Edge. I just logged in, accessed my parts, then logged out, and registered a new account, with no problems, using Edge 38.14393.0.0 on Windows 10. I don't test with Edge often, but as a modern browser it tends to work fairly well.Is it possible this was a network glitch? Please contact me directly if you continue to have problems.

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 05, 2016, 08:19:37 pm
content: Can partsbox.io capture images, using a webcam, to associate with the component?That would be nice

author: Bryan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 05, 2016, 08:23:37 pm
content: I tried again with Edge (38.14393.0.0) on Windows 10 and same thing, when trying to log in I receive Authentication failed. I do have the Adblock extension installed, but disabled it and still the same issue. no problems logging in with IE 11. Will contact you off line I am sure there is a solution.p.s. Great program though, have been slowly cataloguing my parts bin.

author: jwr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2016, 08:18:43 am
content: Quote from: NivagSwerdna on November 05, 2016, 08:19:37 pmI get a lot of requests for that (various kinds of attachments/pictures). I have the functionality already implemented and it will be available in the commercial plans before the end of the year. Making it available for free is a bit of a problem because of storage, networking and maintenance costs. I'm still thinking about how to approach this, and perhaps I will figure out a solution.For those kind people who said they'd be willing to pay several bucks a month for a "hobbyist+" account, thank you! However, it turns out that the EU (where I'm based) makes taking money from individuals quite difficult, especially if they reside in the EU as well. The bookkeeping costs are significant and it might simply not make sense to offer anything at several dollars a month. Ridiculous, I know.cheers,--Jan

author: Mr.B
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 08, 2016, 07:08:08 pm
content: QuoteI simply use the Notes field to store URLs to files on my Google Drive for things like photos and PDFs of datasheets that are not on OctoPart.Simple...

author: msr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2017, 03:56:31 am
content: This might be a bit of hijacking but, it's related to what people have been posting here.If you want a software (not cloud or web based) thatactually runs on your computer, you have BOMIST:https://bomist.comIt does parts inventory and BOM management. It is integrated with Octopart, meaning you get plenty of useful realtime data about your inventory (e.g. pricing and availability on each distributor). Currently available on Windows but macOS releases are planned for early 2018.

author: Mr.B
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 30, 2017, 01:54:16 am
content: You need to re-think your parts limitations for makers...500 parts is not enough. 1000 would be more realistic.1000 of each part is not enough. I purchase 0603 resistors by the reel, the most economic way to buy, and there are 5000 on a reel.I will continue to use PartsBox thanks.

author: jwr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2018, 03:31:15 pm
content: @Mr.B, I don't think you are anywhere close to any limits. The limit is "5000 distinct parts", so your reels of 0603 resistors are fine, unless you have more than 5000 of them.And once again, to address the "does it run on your computer" issue: you can download all the data you have ever entered into PartsBox at any time, by pressing a button in the Settings panel, called "Download JSON". This gives you a full machine-readable backup that you could use to access your data in case anything goes wrong with PartsBox. It's quick, easy and painless. I do not want to hold anybody's data hostage, ever.I will also point out that tools that only run on your local computer do not have the real-time sharing capabilities that PartsBox offers and that companies find immensely valuable (everybody on the team always sees up-to-date data, you can work with your CM that is in a different location, etc). That's one of the major advantages of PartsBox and it would be lost if the software were rewritten to run locally.

author: Mr.B
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 13, 2018, 07:03:48 pm
content: Quote from: jwr on February 13, 2018, 03:31:15 pmI was making observation on the BOMIST product presented by @msrI did not even download it, simply read about its limitations on his website.As I said above - "I will continue to use PartsBox thanks."

author: jwr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 20, 2018, 07:32:43 pm
content: Quote from: Mr.B on February 13, 2018, 07:03:48 pmWhoops, sorry, I misunderstood. It's because I often have to answer questions about part limits in the free plan :-)best regards,--JanFounder, PartsBox ·https://partsbox.io/· Twitter: @PartsBoxIO

author: ironcurtain
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 02, 2018, 07:50:33 am
content: It would be pretty cool to release it under a restrictive license as open source for home users (and make it illegal to use it commercially otherwise, and also 'as a service'). What was the stack you developed it with?

author: Fredderic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2018, 12:42:10 pm
content: Quote from: jwr on November 08, 2016, 08:18:43 amWhy not just being able to attach a link to an image, and have PartsBox.io format it as a<img src="...">, perhaps checking the image size at attachment time to add image scaling (you can probably get away with only downloading the first part of the image, also, just enough to lift the metadata — and verify that it is in fact an image). That way, we can have the images, but PartsBox.io doesn't have to host the data, or even transport it for the most part.I take a picture with my phone, 10s later a notification pops up on my screen, click it, now I'm looking at the file in a folder, sort it into a sub-folder if desired, then right-click and copy public link, paste into PartsBox.io, done.As a next step, online storage integration; Dropbox, Box, S3, GoogleDrive, that Micro$oft one, etc., and of course, PartsBox.io's own. Though, I have to say, I simply will not ever give PartsBox.io the password to any other account, but most of them offer restricted access to 3rd parties.

author: whalphen
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2018, 01:40:46 pm
content: It is possible to put a url in the notes field and use this as a link to the picture or a document. I often do this for data sheets.

author: Fredderic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 26, 2018, 07:22:34 am
content: Yeah, I think I shoved a datasheet link into a component note or two too — but that doesn't work so well for part images, where you really want to see them on the list.So after playing with it for a bit… It's also not a particularly fun experience trying to cram in info that it does actually have fields for, leaving a rather stark difference in usefulness between parts it knows about, and parts it does't.And after arguing with it to put in a few too many parts it didn't know anything about, and then struggling to find a few things again, I gave up and haven't been back since; my crusty ol' spreadsheet holds the data I need, in the format I want, it's grouped and sorted how I like, and due to a consistent naming scheme, I can even do my most common parametric searches quite effectively. On the topic of which, the "linked name" feature of PB.io; the offered suggestions were usually "Not Quite Right", and even if you accepted their most common offerings, it wasn't consistent across all the parts.Nice idea, but… No.

author: mdszy
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 26, 2018, 06:09:50 pm
content: I've just begun using partsbox again. I used it over a year ago for some simple stuff and found it pretty useful. My needs are a bit greater now, and I can see myself needing a pro plan. However, the $39/mo is just too expensive for me at this point in time. I hope that either a cheaper plan comes out (and yes, I saw the explanation for why one isn't offered) in the future... or alternatively, that I soon have a better means of buying it. I definitely would buy a more expensive plan, but I simply cannot afford it at the time.Other than that, I'm really liking it and it's had a lot of cool features added since I used it last. Hoping it stays around for a nice long time.