SnapEDA provides free access to the essential building blocks for electronic design, including schematic symbols, PCB footprints and 3D models created using proprietary creation, verification and translation technology. As the industry’s only vendor agnostic search engine, it helps over 750 000 professional engineers each year to discover and design-in devices selected from a comprehensive component library.

RS Components (RS), a trading brand of Electrocomponents, a global omni-channel provider of product and service solutions, has integrated the SnapEDA electronic component library and search engine into its DesignSpark Printed Circuit Board

(PCB) computer-aided design (CAD) platform. The new search capability gives engineers easy access to free CAD models of millions of electronic components, significantly reducing design times.

The company’s award winning DesignSpark platform is a suite of free-to-use rapid PCB prototyping tools offering schematics unlimited in number and size, unlimited layers, nodes, pads and connections, integration with RS parts libraries, a library editor to create custom libraries, and integration with free DesignSpark mechanical and electrical CAD systems.

The SnapEDA online component library on DesignSpark is searchable by entering either a known part number or one or more keywords. CAD models are downloaded for free and can be imported directly into DesignSpark or virtually any other major PCB CAD tool. Datasheets, full specifications, price checks and component sales are available 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 SnapEDA founder and CEO Natasha Baker. “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 RS Components senior digital development manager Carol North. “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.

SnapEDA can be accessed on the DesignSpark website.