# Research Components Faster with AI With Flux, your team can use AI to expedite everything from component selection and design review to cost estimation and sourcing. Written by [Jake Hertz](https://www.flux.ai/jakehertz) Published Apr 2024 - 5 min read [![](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/ai-component-selection/main.webp)](#) ## In [our previous blog post](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/ai-powered-architecture-design), we demonstrated how your enterprise can harness Flux and artificial intelligence to bring your project from idea to architecture. Once you’ve landed on an architecture, it’s time for the next major step in your design process: Component and Technology Selection. At this point, your team has a block diagram. Still, your project is mostly abstract. The Component and Technology Selection phase is where things start to get tangible. With a detailed block diagram as the phases’ input, it's time to start selecting components and putting a real system together. With Flux, your team can use AI to expedite everything in this phase, from component selection and design review to cost estimation and sourcing.  Let’s discuss how AI can take your team’s architectural ideas and help them select components and identify core technologies. ### Selecting Core Components The first step in this phase is to start selecting components, and that’s one place where Copilot really shines. Copilot is guided by your company’s guidelines, including regulatory requirements, pricing, power consumption, operating conditions, and more. With these parameters defined in a Template, Copilot finds the best components that fit your specific project requirements.  Start by providing Copilot with your architecture as a block diagram and asking: > [*@copilot,*](https://docs.flux.ai/reference/copilot) *here’s my system block diagram. What major components will be necessary to make it work?* [![](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/ai-component-selection/response-example-1.webp)](#) Right off the bat, Copilot can provide clarity, insight, and direction to your project by identifying the major components and subsystems necessary for your project. Maybe your system needs an MCU and numerous sensors. Or maybe a single, highly integrated SoC can meet your needs. Copilot will provide options and specific component possibilities to help you make these decisions. Copilot will also make sure that you have many options. To get a breadth of options and achieve greater design flexibility, just ask Copilot: > [*@copilot*](https://docs.flux.ai/reference/copilot)*, please provide me multiple component options for each different block in my diagram* [![](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/ai-component-selection/response-example-2.webp)](#) By analyzing vast databases of technical specifications and performance metrics, Copilot can help your team choose the most suitable components based on your unique needs for performance, cost, and supplier reliability. ### Cost Estimation and Supply Chain If supply or cost becomes an issue, Copilot can help your team compare parts and evaluate potential alternatives. Just ask Copilot: > [*@copilot*](https://docs.flux.ai/reference/copilot)*, could you please provide me with drop-in replacement alternates for U1?* [![](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/ai-component-selection/response-example-3.webp)](#) Copilot can evaluate multiple parts and alternatives for the same component, comparing manufacturer availability so that you can guarantee your design will withstand the challenges of a volatile supply chain.  Copilot also aids the business side of things. With access to Flux’s native cost estimation tools that help project your BOM’s cost, Copilot can provide your team with a comprehensive understanding of the project’s financial aspects from the outset. With Flux’s real-time integration with manufacturer databases, your team can access real-time pricing and availability data to ensure that your components are under budget and easily sourced. With Copilot’s help, at the end of the component selection phase, you should have yourself a high-level schematic diagram. ### High-Level Design Review Once you have a schematic, it’s time to double-check your work. Flux Copilot can use your requirements to perform an initial review of the first schematic draft, identifying potential design inefficiencies, compatibility issues, and areas for optimization. ### Component Validation One aspect of this is component validation, where Copilot can help ensure that your components are interoperable, based on requirements like voltage range, communication interfaces, and clock speeds. For example, ask Copilot: [![](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/ai-component-selection/response-example-4.webp)](#) Copilot will then read through your parts datasheets, review their schematic interconnections, and provide you feedback on their interoperability. ### Architectural Validation Architectural validation is where Copilot can review the block diagram generated in the previous step and validate that the core components selected match the target use case. For example, you can ask Copilot: > [*@copilot*](https://docs.flux.ai/reference/copilot)*, here's the block diagram I've created and here is my schematic. Do things match up?* [![](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/ai-component-selection/response-example-5.webp)](#) Or, Copilot can help evaluate candidate parts to match the project’s requirements and standards, including your organization-specific standards. For example, if your project is operating under a tight power requirement, you could ask Copilot: > [*@copilot*](https://docs.flux.ai/reference/copilot)*, does my schematic meet my power requirements?* Copilot will read datasheets and interpret your schematic to estimate the system’s power consumption. It can then offer suggestions to help lower the power consumption, if necessary. ### Defining the Path Forward Once the schematic has been reviewed and ironed out, your engineers and product team must work together to define the project’s path forward. From the engineering side, you’ll want to identify the PCB technology requirements to make such a system work.  While your team is still early on in the design process, this kind of foresight can help you create accurate and realistic timelines and budgets for your project. At this point, Copilot knows all of your project requirements and has context for all of your core components. With this knowledge, Copilot can help your team get a feel for the project’s necessary investment concerning development time, costs, and revisions. The engineering and product teams can be aligned on the project outlook and understand the steps necessary to bring your product to market.  For example, based on the design requirements and constraints, Flux Copilot can recommend the most suitable PCB technologies for your project. By taking into consideration factors like layer count, material, and manufacturing capabilities, Copilot can make sure that your team is working towards a manufacturable design from the very beginning. Ask Copilot a question like: > [‍*@copilot*](https://docs.flux.ai/reference/copilot)*, given this schematic, roughly what’s the ideal stack up for my PCB design?* [![](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/ai-component-selection/response-example-6.webp)](#) ### Reimagining Enterprise Hardware With Flux, enterprises can take their architectural ideas and use AI to transform those ideas into actionable items. With Copilot, your enterprise can generate schematics, perform AI design reviews, and even identify PCB technology, budgets, and timelines well in advance of any manufacturing.  Want to learn more about how Flux’s AI can help revolutionize hardware design? [Sign up for Flux today.](https://www.flux.ai/signup) ## About the author [Jake Hertz](https://www.flux.ai/jakehertz) Electronics Engineer at Flux Jake Hertz is an Electrical Engineer who works with Flux. He has his M.S. and B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and previously worked for MakerBot Industries where he worked developing the electrical systems for next-generation 3D printers. Find him on Flux [@jakehertz](https://www.flux.ai/jakehertz) Let’s start building Build your big idea together with Flux. All you need to do is describe what you want to make, or what problem you want to solve. Flux will work with you to make it a reality. ![Close-up photo of a PCB made with Flux, with an ESP32 module, buttons, and a microSD slot.](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/miscellaneous/sidebar-cta-pcb.webp) [Try it Free](https://www.flux.ai/signup) ## More in AI & Prompt Engineering for Hardware [ ![What Makes a Perfect PCB Design Prompt](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/how-to-write-a-perfect-pcb-design-prompt/main.webp) ### What Makes a Perfect PCB Design Prompt 8 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/what-makes-a-perfect-pcb-design-prompt)[ ![Flux, an AI hardware engineer pointing out the dos and don'ts when prompting.](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/prompting-guide/main.webp) ### Prompting Guide: Working with Flux from Idea to Schematic 9 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/prompting-guide-working-with-flux-from-idea-to-schematic)[ ![A space-themed image with a central cartoon astronaut helmet against a backdrop of stars and nebulae in shades of purple. 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The review panel highlights capacitor C56 with a red error indicating a voltage rating of 16V, below the required safe margin. A chat response suggests replacement capacitors with part numbers, demonstrating the AI's capability to recommend fixes for flagged issues.](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/ai-drc-panel/main.webp) ### Introducing the AI Design Review Tab 4 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/introducing-the-ai-design-review-tab)[ ![Flux Copilot - The First AI Powered Hardware Design Assistant can now route your PCB. Introducing AI Auto-Layout. 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A digital overlay on the image presents a test plan for signal integrity checks, listing steps such as confirming a voltage level of 3.3V, checking for a PWM signal at 1 kHz, and ensuring zero voltage (ground). The layout emphasizes precision and methodical testing in electronic design and development.](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/ai-electronic-testing-and-debugging/main.webp) ### AI for Electronics Testing and Debugging 3 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/ai-for-electronics-testing-and-debugging)[ ![A hardware design assistant wearing a spacesuit helmet, automatically reading test points in a complex printed circuit board and doing design analysis](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/ai-functional-testing/main.webp) ### AI for Functional Testing 4 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/ai-for-functional-testing)[ ![AI design assistant named Copilot wearing a space helmet is scanning an electronic schematic diagram to optimize for production total cost by looking at every single electronic components, stackup configuration and packages](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/ai-driven-cost-optimization/main.webp) ### AI-Driven PCB Cost Optimization 4 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/ai-driven-pcb-cost-optimization)[ ![Simulate Circuits with a Prompt](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/simulate-circuits-with-a-prompt/main.webp) ### Simulate Circuits with a Prompt 5 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/simulate-circuits-with-a-prompt)[ ![Meet Files: AI-Native Project Documentation](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/meet-files-ai-native-project-documentation/main.webp) ### Meet Files: AI-Native Project Documentation 5 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/meet-files-ai-native-project-documentation)[ ![Flux copilot under the hood - an AI agent with access to real tools, structured data, and your active design context. 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An astronaut traversing the galaxy having full control.](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/copilot-getting-smarter/main.webp) ### Smarter Copilot, Cleaner Layouts, Fewer Bugs 2 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/smarter-copilot-cleaner-layouts-fewer-bugs)[ ![Introducing Copilot Knowledge Base for Flux Engineers](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/how-to-transfer-your-knowledge-to-copilot/main.webp) ### Introducing Copilot Knowledge Base for Flux Engineers 6 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/introducing-copilot-knowledge-base-for-flux-engineers)[ ![Flux + GPT-5 (Beta)](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/flux-and-gpt-5/main.webp) ### Flux + GPT-5 (Beta) 4 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/flux-gpt-5-beta)[ ![Design hardware in the fast lane with Flux's new steerable agent](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/blogs/new-steerable-hardware-agent/main.webp) ### Design hardware in the fast lane with Flux's new steerable agent 3 Min Read](https://www.flux.ai/p/blog/new-steerable-hardware-agent) See All (41) ## Let’s start building. Let’s build your idea together. All you need to do is describe what you want to make, or what problem you want to solve. Flux will work with you to make it a reality. [Try it Free](https://www.flux.ai/signup) ![Close-up of a Flux-designed printed circuit board](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/mission-visual.webp)