Manufacturer Part Search

To open the Manufacturer Part Search panel, select View » Panels » Manufacturer Part Search from the main menu in Altium Designer or the Manufacturer Part Search option from the  button menu at the lower right of the main screen.

In the main region of the panel, the icons represent the various component categories. Clicking on an icon opens a list of all available components in that category with filtering options. Click on the Connectors category to open all available connector parts.

Depending on the input data, there are several ways to search for the required component. 🎬Acquire a Component from a Manufacturer Part Search.  For example, imagine that you need to place an HDMI connector on the PCB. Based on this, there are three possible cases.

Case #1: You know the required part number. Enter the part number in the Search field and press Enter. For example, enter 47272-0001 in the field and click on the relevant component from the resulting grid.

Case #2: You know the part application. You can perform a search using the component description. If you need a surface-mounted HDMI connector, enter HDMI SMT in the search field to find all relevant parts. The currently selected filter options are shown above the parts list and can be removed (using the associated X icon) to modify the active search filters.

Case #3: You know the part parameters. You need to place a surface-mounted receptacle connector with two pins. Open the  Filter menu by pressing the panel's filter icon at the top-left corner. You will see an extensive list of all the parameters for component filtering. Enable Surface Mount in the Mount region and 2 in the Number of Pins region. The list of components will automatically update each time a check is placed or removed. This allows you to quickly narrow the list of choices to the most suitable manufactured parts, sorted by a combination of model availability, supplier stock, and price. The currently selected filter options are shown above the parts list and can be removed (using the associated X icon) to modify the active search filters.

Using the previously described filters and options, we found the required component. Some of the components in the list have a green  icon (has models), and some have a gray  icon (models are missing). The green icon components are identical to the managed components and are ready to be placed in your design. The gray icons cannot be placed instantly on the schematic.>

You can display only components with attached models in the filter menu by locating the Has Model option in the Filters region and selecting Yes.

Some parts in the Manufacturer Part Search panel include assigned schematic symbols, PCB footprints, and/or simulation models. Model quality is indicated by icons:

• Generic – Unqualified models with unverified data, often created from community-sourced datasheets.
• ECAD Ready – Manufacturer-qualified models verified through Altium's validation process and industry standards.
• No Model – Indicates no models are available.

The Model Info tab in the Details pane provides model information. Use the Models filter to show parts by model quality level, and the Model Type filter to show parts with specific model types. For parts with Generic models, you can request qualified models using Vote to Add Qualified Model.

Qualified model support requires the EDMS.QualifiedModels option to be enabled in the Advanced Settings dialog. If disabled, only generic model availability icons are shown, and the Has Model and Has Simulation filters can be used to find parts with associated model data.

Parts with associated models can be used in your projects through a simple drag-and-drop function (i.e., drag the necessary component onto the schematic sheet).

To compare components, specify a search query or define the filter settings so that you can select components to compare. For example, enter HDMI in the Search field. Hold the Ctrl button in the search results, and click on the components you want to compare. After each click, a new component will appear in the  Select Part Details region of the panel.

Each part entry in the list also includes a link to the online manufacturer's data and a tabular list of supplier choices, sorted by price and availability. Suppliers provide a snapshot of the current (live) stock level, pricing, and supplier part number. To see all options from suppliers, select a component, then click the down arrow associated with the underlined ## SPNs text under the Part Number and Manufacturer.

In addition, the current lifecycle for each component is displayed when you hover your cursor over the colored bar to the right of the Manufacturer Part column. There can only be a few stages in the life cycle: