Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
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Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
Dear all,
The manual assembly of a SMT PCB could be a long, boring and erroneous operation, as we need to go back and forth between the PCB design documentation and the part bins, locating where each component must be fitted. In order to dramatically simplify this operation we have developped for our own needs a simple but we think effective Windows-based software, named SmtAssistant. Basically it reads a Pick&Place file and a bitmap of your PCB, helps you to prepare your parts and then SHOWS YOU HOW EACH SUCCESSIVE PART MUST BE PLACED
Two good news :
1/ As we are Proteus users for years this tool can directly read the Pick&Place files generated by Ares
2/ As PC software development is not our business (Alciom is a consulting company in mixed signal and RF designs) we decided to provide it FREE OF CHARGE for anyone interested.
You can download the software and its documentation from this page (the web page is currently in french, but the software manual is in english, I'm sure you will find its download link on that page) :
http://alciom.com/fr/telechargements/re ... uites.html
Let us know if you like it or if you have any improvement idea (other than merging it with Ares, I let that task to Labcenter's team ;+) )
Yours,
Robert Lacoste
www.alciom.com
The manual assembly of a SMT PCB could be a long, boring and erroneous operation, as we need to go back and forth between the PCB design documentation and the part bins, locating where each component must be fitted. In order to dramatically simplify this operation we have developped for our own needs a simple but we think effective Windows-based software, named SmtAssistant. Basically it reads a Pick&Place file and a bitmap of your PCB, helps you to prepare your parts and then SHOWS YOU HOW EACH SUCCESSIVE PART MUST BE PLACED
Two good news :
1/ As we are Proteus users for years this tool can directly read the Pick&Place files generated by Ares
2/ As PC software development is not our business (Alciom is a consulting company in mixed signal and RF designs) we decided to provide it FREE OF CHARGE for anyone interested.
You can download the software and its documentation from this page (the web page is currently in french, but the software manual is in english, I'm sure you will find its download link on that page) :
http://alciom.com/fr/telechargements/re ... uites.html
Let us know if you like it or if you have any improvement idea (other than merging it with Ares, I let that task to Labcenter's team ;+) )
Yours,
Robert Lacoste
www.alciom.com
Re: Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
Robert,
Just want to say many thanks for sharing this with the community. It appears to be a very useful tool and I can see I will use this with my student placements.
For most layouts we use Altium so need to configure the Pick n Place parameters but it works very well with Ares files.
Thanks
Shaun
Just want to say many thanks for sharing this with the community. It appears to be a very useful tool and I can see I will use this with my student placements.
For most layouts we use Altium so need to configure the Pick n Place parameters but it works very well with Ares files.
Thanks
Shaun
Re: Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
This is a blinding utility, Robert. Thanks very much for making it available
Re: Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
I have just had a quick look at this. It is obviously very useful. One of those things that is so simple and obvious after you have seen it.
Just so I do not go off and reinvent the wheel - is there an Android version available - if not, I may get one written. Android tablets are so convenient on the workshop floor.
Just so I do not go off and reinvent the wheel - is there an Android version available - if not, I may get one written. Android tablets are so convenient on the workshop floor.
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Re: Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
Thanks guys for your support !
To Donald : no, no Android version planned, so feeld free to develop it ;+)
Friendly yours,
Robert
To Donald : no, no Android version planned, so feeld free to develop it ;+)
Friendly yours,
Robert
Re: Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
Thanks for this, it will help me a lot as I do a lot of prototype work.
Cheers Ed
Cheers Ed
Re: Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
Very interesting...
Only a suggestion: there is very good if in the pick list will be exported also the list of the refid of the parts.. useful for checkin it...
Thanks!
Only a suggestion: there is very good if in the pick list will be exported also the list of the refid of the parts.. useful for checkin it...
Thanks!
Re: Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
Hello, i think i've found a bug
there is unused Stock Code columnLABCENTER PROTEUS PICK AND PLACE FILE
=====================================
Component positions for BMS v2 logic.pdsprj
Fields: Part ID, Value, Package, Stock Code, Layer, Rotation, X, Y
Units: Rotation - degrees, X, Y - thou
Notes: The X, Y value is the centre of package as drawn in ARES.
The origin for these values is the Output Origin.
The values are a guide only and must be checked manually when
setting up automatic insertion equipment.
"J10","CONN-SIL6","CONN-SIL6","",TOP,0,-2131.89,1870.08
"J11","CONN-SIL3","CONN-SIL3","",TOP,180,-2165.35,-1830.71
...
SmtAssist ini file, when trying to launch, says "missing mandatory value"12
,
1,5,6,0,2,7,3,4
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Re: Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
Strange, it works here with the same PKP file format and standard SmtAssistant.ini file. Could you please post your full PKP file for analysis ?
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Re: Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
The Pick n Place Output has a new tick box which allows the Stock Code to be output as a field.
We had some software which converted the pkp into something we could open in mechanical CAD, and it was tripped up when we realised there was this extra column in the file (stock code).
It may be as easy as modifying your code to account for the possibility of an extra field.
Or simply output the pkp again but switch off the Stock Code tick box and try again.
We had some software which converted the pkp into something we could open in mechanical CAD, and it was tripped up when we realised there was this extra column in the file (stock code).
It may be as easy as modifying your code to account for the possibility of an extra field.
Or simply output the pkp again but switch off the Stock Code tick box and try again.
Paul Spence
Re: Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
Just part of it. forum didn't let me post full listingLABCENTER PROTEUS PICK AND PLACE FILE
=====================================
Component positions for BMS v2 logic.pdsprj
Fields: Part ID, Value, Package, Stock Code, Layer, Rotation, X, Y
Units: Rotation - degrees, X, Y - thou
Notes: The X, Y value is the centre of package as drawn in ARES.
The origin for these values is the Output Origin.
The values are a guide only and must be checked manually when
setting up automatic insertion equipment.
"J10","CONN-SIL6","CONN-SIL6","",TOP,0,-2131.89,1870.08
"J11","CONN-SIL3","CONN-SIL3","",TOP,180,-2165.35,-1830.71
"J1","CONN-SIL4","CONN-SIL4","",TOP,-90,2401.57,-1680.71
"J2","CONN-SIL4","CONN-SIL4","",TOP,90,2480.31,1720.08
"U7","STM32F103C8T6","TQFP48 0.5MM","",BOT,270,1059.06,1269.69
"U1","TD350E","SO14","",BOT,90,2580.31,-1137.66
"U2","TD350E","SO14","",BOT,270,2360.63,1255.77
"U3","PC3H7","SO4_OPT","",BOT,90,2415.94,-505.039
"U4","PC3H7","SO4_OPT","",BOT,270,2584.06,-505.039
"U5","PC3H7","SO4_OPT","",TOP,-180,2132.76,1254.53
"U6","PC3H7","SO4_OPT","",TOP,180,2127.48,1420.28
"R14","160R","1206","",BOT,270,2283.46,1611.23
"R15","33R","1206","",BOT,270,2362.2,1611.23
"R16","1k","0805","",BOT,0,2635.17,1377.95
"R17","20k","0805","",BOT,90,2124.41,1242.79
"R18","3.3k","0805","",BOT,180,2089.24,1122.05
"R19","33R","1206","",BOT,90,2539.37,-1420.27
"R20","1k","0805","",BOT,270,2362.2,-1282.16
"R13","160R","1206","",BOT,90,2618.11,-1420.27
"R21","20k","0805","",BOT,180,2561.69,-885.827
"R22","3.3k","0805","",BOT,90,2854.33,-942.252
"R23","4.7k","0805","",BOT,180,2280.83,-669.291
"C1","100pF","CAP0805","",BOT,90,2283.46,-1198.16
"C2","220nF","CAP0805","",BOT,90,2440.94,-1380.58
"C3","100pF","CAP0805","",BOT,0,2635.17,1299.21
"C4","220nF","CAP0805","",BOT,180,2522.31,1456.69
"C5","3.3nF","CAP0805","",BOT,270,2045.67,1242.79
Standart ini didn't work correctly as layers not found
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Re: Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
Just generate the PKP file WITHOUT ticking the "include STOCK codes" box and it will work ;+)
Robert
Robert
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Re: Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
I can't find the option to exclude stock codes in 8.5 SP1
Perhaps the option has been dropped from Proteus? Or maybe I have a blindspot.
If it has been dropped, then an update to deal with the (mandatory) stock code field would be a nice thing.
Perhaps the option has been dropped from Proteus? Or maybe I have a blindspot.
If it has been dropped, then an update to deal with the (mandatory) stock code field would be a nice thing.
Re: Announcement : SmtAssistant free tool for prototype assembly
You will likely need to resize (vertically) the file dialog until the checkbox is visible, as there is a bug in its positioning.