The new Digikey KiCad part library was designed to help you save time by choosing parts that have full documentation and are normally in stock right from the beginning of your project. Even more can be done with BOM generating add-ons for KiCad.

We are using KiBOM in this example. The download and detailed instructions for installation of this are available on GitHub.

GitHub SchrodingersGat/KiBoM Configurable BoM generation tool for KiCad EDA (http://kicad-pcb.org/) - SchrodingersGat/KiBoM

After finishing the installation, simply find and add some parts to a design in Eeschema. For this example, I have chosen parts from the Digikey library to showcase how well this can work for you.

Before a BOM can be created the project needs to be annotated. If you have not already saved your netlist, the annotation dialog will show after you click on the BOM icon located on the toolbar. The Bill of Material dialog will show after this.

In the Bill of Material dialog click generate. The Plugin Info box will tell you if the operation was successful and where you can expect to find the file you created. Click Close to close the dialog box.

On the Digikey website, you can sign up for an account with us if you haven’t done so already. After you log in and go to your My Digikey page, you will see the following. Drag and drop the file created in the last step into the “Upload to Cart” box.

The next window to pop up will contain the bill of materials you wanted to upload. Here you will want to assign columns to the Digikey part number, Manufacturer part number, Customer reference, and Quantity to the appropriate locations. After you are finished, select the appropriate add to cart button in the bottom right.

After this file is processed, the next screen will appear with your parts in the cart.

You may notice that one of these parts are on back order. This is a regular stocking item but happens to be out at the moment. We have more on the way. If this cannot wait until it is restocked you can easily find another option by clicking on the part number and choosing a direct substitute.

After adding this new part, and removing the old one, we have a cart ready for order.

Some of you may design and choose the components that will be ordered but have to submit this order to someone else. This can still be a valuable tool for you and your purchaser. You can make their life easier by sharing a snapshot of your cart.

Using KiBOM in conjunction with the Digikey KiCad parts library and the Digikey website can take much of the hassle out of getting that order on its way.