Add Supplier Links

The Add Supplier Links dialog

Summary

The Add Supplier Links dialog allows you to search for a manufacturer part and then choose a specific supplier of that part, in order to create a supplier link. This allows you to connect your Altium Designer component to a real world part with supply chain information coming from that chosen supplier.

Access

The dialog is accessed from the schematic editor and the schematic library editor by clicking the Add button in the Supplier Links for dialog.

Options/Controls

• Search - enter the desired search terms in the text box and press Enter. The Manufacturer Part results will be listed in the main region of the dialog. 
• Main Results Listing - this shows the resulting Manufacturer Parts returned based on the search criteria entered. For each manufacturer part, the Description, Category, and Supply Info are listed by default. Additional parametric information can be displayed by right-clicking on a column header and choosing the Select Columns command from the context menu. This provides access to the Select Columns dialog. 

For each manufacturer part, the suppliers that vend that part can be accessed by clicking on the SPNs (Supplier Part Numbers) drop-down. Each SPN tile includes a colored tile banner, which indicates the risk associated with choosing that SPN. The order of the SPN tiles can change based on the availability and the price data from the Altium Parts Provider. An SPN tile contains the following information:

• Colored tile banner showing the supplier name. The color reflects the risk associated with choosing that supplier. The risk can change at any time based on the availability and price data received from the Altium Parts Provider.
  • Green = Best
  • Orange = Acceptable
  • Red = Risky
• Supplier part number (linked to the part on the Supplier's website)
• Last updated icon with details displayed in the tooltip, color indicates:
  • White/Gray = Default, updated less than one week ago
  • Orange = 1 week < last update < month ago
  • Red = last update > 1 month ago
• Country code for the Supplier location (ISO alpha 2); colored red if unknown.
• Part source, details displayed in the tooltip.
• Stock quantity; red if no stock available.
• Unit price, red if no price available. Unit price includes currency icon, currency is determined by the location of the supplier.
• Available price breaks, with Minimum Order Quantities.

Component entries listed with an associated  icon have symbols and footprints and are therefore ready to be placed in a design. To restrict the listing to those components that have associated model data, select the Yes option for the Has Model parameter in the Filters pane (accessed by clicking the  button at the top left of the dialog).

Additional Controls

•   - click to access a drop-down menu (shown in the following image) from where you can set up desired search filters. 

•  - use the drop-down to access a categories drop-down menu to restrict the list to a particular component type. 
•  - click to access a menu with the following options:
  • Currency - use the drop-down to select the desired currency.
  • Exclude Invalid SPNs - enable to display only those that include suitable Stock levels and up-to-date data.
  • Part Providers Preferences - click to open the Data Management - Parts Providers page of the Preferences dialog, which provides controls to configure the available suppliers.

Part Details

Full details of the selected manufacturer part, including models if available, are presented in the dialog's Details section pane – on the right in the dialog's full screen mode. Use the dialog's  button (top right) to toggle the visibility of the Details pane. The information and options presented in this section depend on the available component data, where a part may be downloaded, acquired or placed ( menu) if associated models are available, and datasheets viewed from the menu or from the Datasheets list.

The drop down menu offers options to Acquire the component to an available managed content server (via the Create new component dialog and Component Editor) or Download the component locally as a Integrated Library Package in a zip archive. Alternatively, if models are not available for the selected component – it cannot be matched as a manufacturer part in the Altium Content Vault – the Part Request option is offered (if enabled at a server level).

Further options in the part Details section include:

• Parameters that represent the current manufacturer data for that part. 
• Add selected parameters to a schematic component part using mouse cursor targeting (drag and drop, or from right-click menu).
• Copy all or selected parameter data as a tab delimited text list – right-click menu options.
• View alternative part suggestions in a list ordered by a suitability rating (Alternatives), where each entry links to its online part data.
• Option to Report an Issue with a part. To report an issue, such as an incorrect lifecycle state, scroll to the bottom of the Details pane and click the Report an Issue link.