OpenPnP Multi-Parts for One Feeder

[Andrew Brooks]

Hello,

My work company ATS, has just purchase an AFARCO PnP V3.2 for our RND projects. I have been spending these last couple of weeks learning the machine as well as learning the OpenPnP software as well. I have been wondering if it were ever to be possible to get support for the One ReferenceAutoFeeder to handle mutliple Parts during one job operation.
Currently at this time, each ReferenceAutoFeeder can only handle one Part at a time. Then when all the parts have been placed, I need to manual which over the Part within the Feeders settings to finish my job. There will be multiple scenerios that my PCB designs will two different decals (Packages) that will use the same component.  For example, my resistor 0603 package can have multiple footprint layouts that could be populated with a 0 ohm resistor, one layout being a more standard layout and another one designed more for a solder link.
Certainly this not being a feature is a bummer in OpenPnP software and hopefully it is doable within your code. Otherwise if its not feasiable, then it would make a handle of my designs less automatic and more of a manual job process.

Any feedback on this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


Best Regards,

Andrew Brooks
Electrical Engineer – Senior I 

T. 860-870-5000
D. 860-375-2028
Accu-Time Systems, Inc.

20-B International Drive
Windsor, CT 06095
abr...@accu-time.com 
accu-time.com
30+ Years of Timekeeping Excellence

[tonyl...@gmail.com]

Just so I understand, you want to have one physical feeder on your machine that you:

1. 1. Load part type "A" into the physical feeder
2. 2. Start the job
3. 3. When all of part type "A" has been placed, the job pauses
4. 4. You manually remove any remaining part type "A" from the physical feeder and load it with part type "B" (and you want OpenPnP to automagically know that the feeder now contains part type "B" rather than part type "A")
5. 5. You resume the job now placing part type "B"
6. 6. Repeat steps 3 - 5 with all the different part types until done

Is that correct?

[Andrew Brooks]

Not quite what I am trying to achieve. I'll just explain more in detail what I would like to do.

So I have a PCB where I have two PCB decals, one called RES603 and one called RES603_LINK. Screenshot from my PCB program below. 


Both of these decals just so happens to use the same 0603 Yageo RC0603FR-070RL 0 Ohm resistor.


Like I stated from my original message, the way around this right now is to place all the RES603_LINK components first, then manually switch the Part from RES603_LINK to RES603 within the Feeders settings. What I am kindly asking for would there be a way in the future to add the ability for a ReferenceAutoFeeder to support multiple Parts with very simular footprints using the same physical component, Yageo RC0603FR-070RL in my case? 

[Jan]

Hi Andrew!
I'm not convinced that it would make sense to let a single feeder serve
two different parts.
You may try the following workflow: assign the feeder the part, that it
is physically loaded with. Then, when setting up a job, update the
imported part definition to match the part in the feeder you wont to
use. You'd only need to do that once per job setup and if you'd like to
avoid this step in the future, you're free to update the part definition
in the PCB program.
This workflow provides the advantage, that you can specify the part you
loaded as precise as you like or the part requires (eg. "0603_1k", or
"0603_1K_1%" or "RC0603FR-071KL") and choose the part that best fits the
requirements of your PCB design.

Jan

On 15.10.2026 13:24, 'Andrew Brooks' via OpenPnP wrote:
> Not quite what I am trying to achieve. I'll just explain more in detail
> what I would like to do.
>
> So I have a PCB where I have two PCB decals, one called RES603 and one
> called RES603_LINK. Screenshot from my PCB program below.

> Screenshot 2026-10-15 070526.png
>
> Both of these decals just so happens to use the same 0603
> Yageo RC0603FR-070RL 0 Ohm resistor.

> Screenshot 2026-10-15 071444.png
>
> Like I stated from my original message, the way around this right now is
> to place all the RES603_LINK components first, then manually switch the
> Part from RES603_LINK to RES603 within the Feeders settings. What I am
> kindly asking for would there be a way in the future to add the ability
> for a ReferenceAutoFeeder to support multiple Parts with very simular
> footprints using the same physical component, Yageo RC0603FR-070RL in my
> case?

> Screenshot 2026-10-15 071927.png
>
>
>
> On Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 3:27:38 PM UTC-4 tonyl...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> Just so I understand, you want to have one physical feeder on your
> machine that you:
>

> 1. 1. Load part type "A" into the physical feeder
> 2. 2. Start the job
> 3. 3. When all of part type "A" has been placed, the job pauses
> 4. 4. You manually remove any remaining part type "A" from the

> physical feeder and load it with part type "B" (and you want
> OpenPnP to automagically know that the feeder now contains part
> type "B" rather than part type "A")

> 5. 5. You resume the job now placing part type "B"
> 6. 6. Repeat steps 3 - 5 with all the different part types until done

> *Andrew Brooks
> *Electrical Engineer – Senior I
>
> T. 860-870-5000 <tel:(860)%20870-5000>
> D. 860-375-2028 <tel:(860)%20375-2028>
> Accu-Time Systems, Inc.

> A red and black logo Description automatically generated with
> low confidence

> 20-B International Drive <https://goo.gl/maps/tJpV2s1JCvVDZ5xJ9>
> Windsor, CT 06095 <https://goo.gl/maps/tJpV2s1JCvVDZ5xJ9>
> abr...@accu-time.com*
> **accu-time.com <http://accu-time.com>
> **30+ Years of Timekeeping Excellence*
>
>
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[Michael Anton]

Why do you include the footprint information in your part designator?  If instead you just specified the MFR part # for both locations, then you only need one feeder, and don't have to reassign it.  So, don't export the footprint information, and instead export the MFR part numbers.  Bear in mind that I've never used OpenPnP, as I have a professional machine running it's native software, but there needs to be a way to specify the physical traits of a component separately from the value of the component.  That way, the footprints are shared across a large number of values, but I'm not sure if OpenPnP is set up this way.

It is fairly common in production to map a specified part to a different part.  I have clients that sometimes use different part numbers to refer to the same part, so I just change one of them to match the other, and then it maps to a single feeder instead of two.

[Mr covert]

You also just search / replace the job file with one part for the other. Quick and dirty but gets its done.  Especially if you're the only one running the machine.

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