Being able to specify a generic part requirement instead of hunting for a specific part is nice sometimes, but any company that makes more than a couple boards already has this covered with a bom management system.
Adding parts via text is nice and fast, but also glosses over many aspects of the part. Say I use a Diodes Inc buck regulator. It has a valid input voltage range it will accept. It has multiple ways it can be wired depending on the application. Wire for buck, septic, etc. PFM on/auto/off, etc. I don't see control over details like that.
Your About Us page is longer and more extensive than your actual product example page.
I see 4-5 very basic designs that I could bang out in Altium in under a day each. Are you selling to people unable to make PCBs? I look for ways to save time because I wear many hats in my job, only 1 of which is doing a board. However, I would not be able to save any time using this tool, because it would produce an inferior result. Additionally, after only 8 months of paying for this product, someone can already afford a full Altium license.
I want to save time on stuff like breaking out and pin swapping IO on a large FPGA. Handle DDR3 routing for me. These are things that actually take time, because you need to understand the device and read through tons of PDFs. However, I think that might also be the most difficult part to add to your product.
Finally, how does it handle physical constraints like non- square board outlines, mounting hole placement, and 3d STEP integration?
Good set of questions, and thanks for the feedback. Currently updating the website to add this stuff.
Comments/answers to questions in order:
1. Yes, finding a single resistor is easy. Part solving is more about making parametric circuits possible. (like a buck regulator that can configure itself on SS, output voltage). There you need to calculate values from parameters and then go find a part you can actually buy. Doing that manually is less magical of an experience.
3. Our customers are professional EEs doing really complex work (e.g. many 30Ghz SERDES), and our website is drastically out of date. Will update design on site soon - this post was some guy submitting our landing page to HN. I'm trying to keep up!
4. Yes, this works already. Was very hard to do on the product side, design code was relatively simple. DDR3 example here - https://youtu.be/bw4KxhV-d8g
5. Physical constraints are imported or generated - works quite well to automatically sync electromechanicals. Mutliple 3D models including STEP can be added to parts, again I need to update the website.
Being able to specify a generic part requirement instead of hunting for a specific part is nice sometimes, but any company that makes more than a couple boards already has this covered with a bom management system.
Adding parts via text is nice and fast, but also glosses over many aspects of the part. Say I use a Diodes Inc buck regulator. It has a valid input voltage range it will accept. It has multiple ways it can be wired depending on the application. Wire for buck, septic, etc. PFM on/auto/off, etc. I don't see control over details like that.
Your About Us page is longer and more extensive than your actual product example page.
I see 4-5 very basic designs that I could bang out in Altium in under a day each. Are you selling to people unable to make PCBs? I look for ways to save time because I wear many hats in my job, only 1 of which is doing a board. However, I would not be able to save any time using this tool, because it would produce an inferior result. Additionally, after only 8 months of paying for this product, someone can already afford a full Altium license.
I want to save time on stuff like breaking out and pin swapping IO on a large FPGA. Handle DDR3 routing for me. These are things that actually take time, because you need to understand the device and read through tons of PDFs. However, I think that might also be the most difficult part to add to your product.
Finally, how does it handle physical constraints like non- square board outlines, mounting hole placement, and 3d STEP integration?