Altium Designer Beats Any OEMSTrade Electronics Part Search

Finding and sourcing new components for your design should be an easy process. Parts specifications can get very detailed, and there are many component options and part browsers on the market (e.g. Ultra Librarian, SamacSys, DMS, etc.). How can designers narrow down to the components they need and source components from authorized distributors?

Using an OEMSTrade electronics part search and other distributor websites only gives you a partial view of the supply chain. Thanks to its integration with Octopart, the industry’s top electronics sourcing data aggregator, Altium Designer helps its users find, download, place, and source components in their designs. Designers can quickly react to changes in the supply chain and stay close to their production budgets thanks to the supply chain features in Altium Designer.

ALTIUM DESIGNER^®

The industry’s only design application that integrates PCB supply chain visibility into its complete set of design tools.

Distributor websites, component brokers, sites like OEMSTrade, and other online resources exist to help designers find and source components for their new boards. However, none of these platforms works together, and they don’t integrate with your design tools to help you stay productive. Designers don’t have time to scan an OEMSTrade electronics part search or distributor sites like PartQuest to find components for their new circuit board design. Today’s designer needs tools to stay productive as they build new technology.

With the PCB supply chain features in Altium Designer, it’s easy to find the parts you need for your design in any web part lookup. Sourcing data from major suppliers can also be found in Altium Designer, and data can be pulled into a project throughout the design process. If you’ve never worked with this type of application, keep reading to see the advantages provided by an integrated set of design and procurement features.

Finding Components for Your Circuit Board

Every printed circuit board will need some PCB components, but finding the perfect components can be difficult at times. The PCB supply chain contains millions of components, each with particular specifications, sourcing information, and pricing. How can a PCB designer find the components they need for their new designs.

When you need to find components for your new PCB, component search engines might let you search in the following ways:

• By part electrical specifications
• By mechanical specifications
• By manufacturer
• By lifecycle status or availability
• By ECAD model availability
• By price

Most search engines only include some of these features, and they don’t aggregate data across the electronics supply chain. How can a design team conduct a web part lookup with any of these methods and get the parts they need for a new design? Altium Designer helps solve this problem by integrating a complete set of supply chain features and your PCB design tools in a single program.

See the Entire PCB Supply Chain in Altium Designer

If you want to search through the entire electronics supply chain, you shouldn’t have to browse distributor websites to find the parts you need. Instead, use the Manufacturer Part Search panel in Altium Designer. This feature lets you search for parts by specifications, manufacturer, lifecycle status, and any other method you can think of. You can then instantly import parts into your schematics and layout file, including ECAD models for your parts.

• When you’re working on a new product for a client, you’re probably operating on their budget. Access to PCB supply chain data helps designers control costs on large orders and develop an accurate production budget.

  See how supply chain visibility helps you control production costs.

• When you can quickly get access to PCB supply chain data, you can spot out-of-stock components and eliminate the need for redesigns.

  Learn more about managing electronic component shortages in your design software.

• Only Altium Designer includes the Manufacturer Part Search panel, giving you a comprehensive look into the PCB supply chain. You can then instantly import data into your PCB designs.

  Learn more about the Manufacturer Part Search panel in Altium Designer.

The Manufacturer Part Search panel in Altium Designer.

Master the PCB Supply Chain Before Production

Using sites like OEMSTrade or SamacSys for electronics part search features gives you access to pricing data from some distributors mixed in with a smattering of related parts, creating an unwieldy interface for sourcing parts. When you’re preparing for manufacturing, it’s important to get a clear view of the costs, lead times, lifecycle status, and supplier information for the parts in your design. Altium Designer gives you just this type of interface and a simple method for managing component options for your design.

Organize Sourcing with ActiveBOM in Altium Designer

Once you’ve completed your design and you’re ready to source your parts, the ActiveBOM tool provides a convenient location to find sourcing data, prices, lead times, and lifecycle status. The ActiveBOM tool works within Altium Designer and it shows you sourcing information for your entire design in a single place. You don’t need to manually enter sourcing data, ActiveBOM imports information into your BOM automatically.

• Your manufacturer will expect certain documentation before production begins, and a BOM is just one of many important documents you’ll need to supply to your manufacturer.

  Learn more about preparing your Live BOM and other PCB manufacturing documentation.

• Whether you want to source your own components or use a turnkey manufacturer, you’ll need to make sure your components are sourceable and can be procured at the required volume.

  Learn more about sourcing your own components for your PCBs.

• The ActiveBOM tool is the only sourcing feature that is accessible alongside the industry-standard electronics design features in Altium Designer.

  Learn more about ActiveBOM in Altium Designer.

The ActiveBOM tool makes it easy to source components.

Execute Your Sourcing Strategy in the Cloud

Today’s best sourcing tools reside in the cloud and they integrate across your PCB design tools, electronic component suppliers, and the factory floor. Altium Designer gives its users access to the Altium 365 platform, the world’s only cloud platform that gives circuit board designers total supply chain visibility. Designers will be able to store and manage their component data, and they can instantly access supply chain information within Altium Designer. No other platform helps expedite design, web part lookup, component selection, and sourcing like Altium 365.

Stay Productive with Altium Designer and Altium 365

Because Altium 365 takes your designs into the cloud, it’s easy to share and collaborate on complex projects. Everyone working on select projects will have access to circuit board design files, components, libraries, and sourcing information required to create a real board. An OEMSTrade electronics part search can’t provide this level of integration with your design tools.

• Altium Designer’s unified design environment gives you access to all the circuit board tools and critical supply chain management tools you need to produce your circuit board at volume.

  Learn more about circuit board design and sourcing in Altium Designer’s unified environment.

• When you need to store, manage, share, and access your component data and sourcing information, use the cloud management features in Altium 365.

  Learn more about the Altium 365 platform.

• Don’t use external supply chain services, manage all aspects of your components and libraries in Altium Designer.

  Learn more about component models and libraries in Altium Designer.

Altium Designer’s unified design environment keeps you productive and gives you access to every circuit board design tool you need.

Altium Designer is the only PCB design platform that gives you a total view of the PCB supply chain and includes a complete set of the industry’s best circuit board design tools. Whether you need to complete a small prototyping run or produce millions of units, Altium Designer has the supply chain management features you need to be successful.

Altium Designer on Altium 365 delivers unprecedented integration to the electronics industry until now relegated to the world of software development, allowing designers to work from home and reach unprecedented levels of efficiency.

We have only scratched the surface of what is possible to do with Altium Designer on Altium 365. You can check the product page for a more in-depth feature description or one of the On-Demand Webinars.