Binner

Binner is a free open-source parts inventory tracking system you can run locally in Windows or Unix environments. It was created for makers (like myself), hobbyists or professionals to keep track of your parts inventory.

Screenshots

Features

• Standard inventory management input
• Import your orders from Digikey, Mouser or AliExpress
• Customizable nested category placement
• Track parts by Project
• Automated datasheet retrieval / Datasheet search
• Automated part lookup on Digikey/Mouser
• Flexible search engine
• Export your data to CSV / Excel if you need
• Proprietary file-based database (or use providers for other formats such as SQL Server)
• No web server installation required, uses standalone Kestrel service API
• Based on .Net Core - runs on Windows and Unix
• Simple web-based UI
• Barcoding support
• Label printing

Planned Upcoming Features for 2023

• Dedicated datasheet repository (Q1)
• Schematics repository for example circuits per part (Q1)
• Local upload of datasheets/images
• Integration of Arrow's API for orders and parts (Q1)
• Multiple language support (Q1)
• Auto update (Q1)
• Full BOM / PCB management (Q1)
• Electronic bins support (Q2)
• Maybe a parts marketplace? with lasers?

Installation

Binner is a cross-platform distribution and runs on Windows, Raspberry Pi OS, Ubuntu and more!

Installation on Windows

Download the Windows installer from the latest release .

Binner can be run as a standalone console application, or as a service.

To run as a service, run the following in an Administrative console:

.\Binner.Web install
.\Binner.Web start

Other commands are available to manage the service such as uninstall, stop, help.

To run as a console application:

.\Binner.Web.exe

Proceed to the web interface at https://localhost:8090 to start using Binner!

Installation on Ubuntu

Download the ubuntu.14.04-x64.tar.gz from the latest release .

// extract the archive
tar zxfp ./Binner_ubuntu.14.04-x64-VERSION.tar.gz

// to install as a service
sudo chmod +x ./install-as-service.sh
sudo ./install-as-service.sh

// or you can just run directly
sudo chmod +x ./Binner.Web
./Binner.Web

Installation on Raspberry Pi OS

Download the linux-arm.tar.gz from the latest release .

// extract the archive
tar zxfp Binner_linux-arm-VERSION.tar.gz

// to install as a service
sudo chmod +x ./install-as-service.sh
sudo ./install-as-service.sh

// or you can just run directly
sudo chmod +x ./Binner.Web
./Binner.Web

See the Wiki for help installing on other platforms.

Description

Binner is designed for electronics in mind, however it could be used for other types of inventory management (chemistry, retail). It is purpose built for quick data entry and fast performance. I built it because I couldn't find good free alternatives for tracking inventory in my home maker lab - it's easy to forget what you bought and where you put them and I end up sometimes ordering things I already have around. Saves money and time! It's built on .Net Core / C# with a React js front end.

I welcome all who want to contribute to this project, and please suggest features in the Issues section.

What if I want to use it but not bother to set it up myself?

A free online version of Binner is available at Binner.io. This service offers both free and paid subscriptions based on inventory size requirements and extra features. Compared to other options out there it's incredibly useful for makers, and it helps me keep this project alive!

Storage Provider

Binner supports multiple storage providers. If your needs are simple, you can continue to use the built-in Binner storage provider which is configured by default. Alternatively, you can specify to use any of the following supported storage providers:

• Binner
• SqlServer
• Postgresql
• MySql
• Sqlite

Configuring Binner Provider (default)

In appsettings.json under StorageProviderConfiguration set the Provider to Binner and under ProviderConfiguration specify the database file location as "Filename": "C:\\Binner\\binner.db" or the location of your choice. It should look like the following:

"StorageProviderConfiguration": {
    "Provider": "Binner",
    "ProviderConfiguration": {
      "Filename": "C:\\Binner\\binner.db" // for unix environments use: "./binner.db"
    }
  },

Configuring SQL Server

In appsettings.json under StorageProviderConfiguration set the Provider to SqlServer. Example:

"StorageProviderConfiguration": {
    "Provider": "SqlServer",
    "ProviderConfiguration": {
      "ConnectionString": "Server=localhost;Database=Binner;Trusted_Connection=True;TrustServerCertificate=True;Integrated Security=True;"
    }
  },

Configuring Postgresql

In appsettings.json under StorageProviderConfiguration set the Provider to Postgresql. Example:

"StorageProviderConfiguration": {
    "Provider": "Postgresql",
    "ProviderConfiguration": {
      "ConnectionString": "Server=localhost;Port=5432;Database=Binner;Userid=postgres;Password=password;SslMode=Disable;Persist Security Info=true;"
    }
  },

Configuring MySql / MariaDb

In appsettings.json under StorageProviderConfiguration set the Provider to MySql. Example:

"StorageProviderConfiguration": {
    "Provider": "MySql",
    "ProviderConfiguration": {
      "ConnectionString": "Server=localhost;Database=Binner;Uid=root;Pwd=password;"
    }
  },

Configuring Sqlite

In appsettings.json under StorageProviderConfiguration set the Provider to Sqlite. Example:

"StorageProviderConfiguration": {
    "Provider": "Sqlite",
    "ProviderConfiguration": {
      "ConnectionString": "Server=localhost;Database=Binner;Uid=root;Pwd=password;"
    }
  },

Integrations

Currently supports Digikey, Mouser, Octopart and AliExpress. For standalone installations, you will need to obtain your own API keys to enable these features. It's easy to obtain them but be aware Octopart is not free so you may want to avoid using it.

Integrations enable features such as automatic part metadata lookup, datasheet retrieval and automatic importing parts from your orders. To get the best out of Binner, it is a good idea to sign up for Digikey and Mouser API keys at a minimum however they are not required.

Configuring DigiKey API

Visit https://developer.digikey.com/ and sign up for a free developer account. You will be asked to create an App which will come with a ClientId and ClientSecret and needs to be set in the appsettings.json under the DigiKey configuration section.

Creating an App

• The API uses oAuth with postbacks so they will want you to provide an OAuth Callback. This can be safely set to https://localhost:8090/Authorization/Authorize. If you are not familiar with oAuth, Digikey will call this URL when you successfully authenticate with DigiKey. It is not called by their servers, but rather by the web UI so it does not need to resolve to an external IP. It does need to be set exactly the same in Binner's oAuthPostbackUrl in appsettings.json otherwise the API calls will not work, as this value must match on both ends.

• You will want to enable API access for the Product Information and Order Support APIs.

Sandbox If you wish to use the DigiKey sandbox rather than their production API, you can specify the ApiUrl to use https://sandbox-api.digikey.com. Otherwise, you can leave it set to https://api.digikey.com

Configuring Mouser API

Visit https://www.mouser.com/api-hub/ and sign up for a free developer account. Mouser requires you to sign up for each API product you wish to use. Currently, Binner supports both the Search API and Order API so sign up for those two APIs separately. Once you have an API key for each, set those in the appsettings.json under the Mouser configuration section.

Configuring Octopart API

Visit https://octopart.com/api/home and sign up for a developer account. Please note that Octopart API is not free to use so you may opt to skip this one. They don't advertise pricing until you start using the API (sneaky), but if you already have a key it can be used for additional datasheet support. If you do not wish to use it Digikey and Mouser will be used to access datasheets for parts, as well as the free Binner datasheet API.

Label printing

Binner currently has limited label printing support. It works best with a Dymo LabelWriter 450 series printer (Turbo dual label is supported too), model 30346 or 30277 labels. If desired additional label sizes and other printers can be easily added.

Label Example