RS Components has integrated the SnapEDA electronic component library and search engine into its DesignSpark PCB CAD platform. The new search capacity provides engineers easy access to free CAD models of millions of electronic components, dramatically decreasing design times.
The library offers free access to the fundamental building blocks for electronic design, including schematic symbols, PCB footprints and 3D models created utilising proprietary creation, verification and translation technology. As the industry’s only vendor-agnostic search engine, it assists over 750,000 professional engineers each year to discover and design-in devices chosen from a large component library.
This platform is a suite of free-to-use rapid PCB prototyping tools providing schematics unlimited in number and size, unlimited layers, nodes, pads and connections, integration with RS parts libraries, a library editor to produce custom libraries, and integration with free DesignSpark mechanical and electrical CAD systems.
This online component library is searchable by entering either a known part number or one or more keywords. CAD models are accessed and may be downloaded for free and imported directly into DesignSpark or practically any other major PCB CAD tool. Datasheets, full specifications, price checks and component sales are provided through RS.
“Since launching DesignSpark 11 years ago, RS Components has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the engineering community through free tools and resources,” said Natasha Baker, founder and CEO of SnapEDA. “This commitment resonates with us here at SnapEDA, where we have similarly been unwaveringly committed to helping engineers design faster with free, innovative design tools and resources we’ve brought to the market. We’re thrilled to support the engineering community together, with this new SnapEDA integration on the DesignSpark website.”
“Part selection and design-in can be major bottlenecks in the electronic design process, because engineers have to source digital models for each component,” said Carol North, senior digital development manager, RS Components. “Our new partnership with SnapEDA solves this problem by adding free, drop-in CAD models to our free-to-use DesignSpark platform.”
Besides DesignSpark, supported CAD formats include Altium, KiCad, Fusion360, Cadence Allegro, OrCAD, Eagle, Pulsonix, DipTrace, Proteus, ExpressPCB Plus, CircuitStudio, PADS, PCB123, Target 3001! and P-CAD.