Chip Components

This section of the guide will go over making the different types of passive chip components: resistors, capacitors, inductors, and diodes. The process for each of these is pretty much exactly the same since they all have standard package sizes and templates in our Altium workspace. This page is particularly useful if you want to place a component of a passive with a value that is not currently in our library. Lucky for you, this is a very simple process! Continue reading to learn of the steps required from selecting a part on Digi-Key, to actually creating that part in Altium.

I will be walking through the process of adding an 0805 (read below on size) 10uF capacitor to our library, but the steps are interchangeable for resistors, inductors, and diodes.

This is still unfinished and a work in progress

Prelude: Chip Package Sizes

In the world of surface mount chip components, there are standard package sizes, also known as case codes. These are a (usually) 4 digit code that describes the size of the package in mils (thousandths of an inch).  For example, an 0603 component is 60 mils across and 30 mils wide, 0805 is 80 mils by 50 mils, and so on. Additionally these come in imperial and metric variations. This can be confusing because sometimes there is some overlap. One such case is that 0201 (imperial) is the same size as 0603 (metric), but there also exists an 0603 (imperial) which is very different from 0603 (metric) so this can be real confusing. We will be sticking with the imperial system for these types of package sizes (Sorry to all you metric lovers, this is the world of PCB design). The below chart shows the differences between all of the sizes. For our purposes, we do not want to go below 0603 because then it gets very hard to solder by hand and space is usually not too big of an issue. On the other hand, 0402 is acceptable if the board is getting assembled by JLCPCB or some other service. If you are not making a part with one of these sizes, you are on the wrong page.

Step 1: Part Selection

The very first step when wanting to add a part to our library is finding that part on Digi-Key. This is important because every single component in the library is linked to a part that exists in real life, and makes Bill of Materials (BOM) creation much simpler. Finding a part for a generic component like this can be pretty intimidating, because there are so many choices. The simplest way to find what you're looking for is to use the filtering options on Digi-Key.

I always start a filter by checking "In Stock", "Datasheet", "RoHS Compliant", "Exclude" under Marketplace Product, and "Active" under Part Status. This ensures that all options are in stock and have a datasheet.  Then set the rest of the filters to specify what we want, in this case 0805 and 10uF. 

This filtering brought me to the CL21A106KOQNNNE, which is a more than acceptable capacitor to use. Refer to below for parameters to look for when choosing a component. The following video shows what exactly I did to get to this part.

Step 2: Adding the Part to Altium

Now that we have the part selected, it is time to add it into our Altium library of parts. For chip components with an extremely standard size like this, this process is very easy. What makes it so easy is that we already have templates set up in our library for these types of parts, so most of it boils down to copy and paste. These templates are located in the Launch Components folder of our workspace (Look at Introduction to Components for Altium for info about our file structure) and are named XXX TEMPLATE where XXX is the type of component. Since I am adding a capacitor, I will be using the CAPACITOR TEMPLATE. It is very important that you use these templates to keep all of our components with the same standard. 

To actually use the template, right click and select Operations > Clone (or Ctrl+D). This will open the following window:

First, put the name of the selected component in the name field. The field will autocomplete with a dropdown menu and select the desired part. This is important because it links the component with supplier information and parameters. In the window that pops up, make sure that the name field is checked, the parameters look correct (No R in resistance for resistors), that all symbols and footprints are unchecked (we have our own), and that a datasheet is checked. I usually use the Digi-Key sheet if available. Then click OK and everything should autofill. Fill in the description with the one from Digi-Key and give all of the filled in information a once over to make sure it looks good.

If the component was chosen from JLCPCB, make sure to add a Parameter called "JLCPCB Part #" and input the part number assigned by JLCPCB (usually in the format Cxxxxx). This will make the ordering process flow smoother since the JLCPCB part number will be visible on the BOM and avoids the buyer from having to look up each part.

After this, the footprint needs to be added to this component to give it a shape when doing layout. Since we already have standard footprints made for these components, this is a trivial task. Where it says "Add Footprint", hit the dropdown arrow and select "Existing"

This will open an Explorer window to select the footprint. Since this is an 0805 capacitor, navigate to the Launch Footprints folder and select Capacitor_0805 and hit OK.

This will add the footprint to the component. The last thing to do (after checking to make sure everything looks good), is to save the component to the workspace. This is done with File > Save to Server. A warning will pop up about Component Type not Specified, but this is no problem and you can click right past it. Add a release comment and then you're all done! Then you can go into the Launch Components folder to see your component for yourself and use it in designs. The video below details this process as well:

Part Considerations

Check out Preferred Component Companies if conflicted on what manufacturer to buy a component from

Resistors:

• Try not to go above +/-10% tolerance, the lower the better
• Make sure that it is properly rated for however much power it will be expecting. 1/10W and 1/5W are usually fine if it's not going to be under much load. Higher power rated resistors will require larger package sizes
• Make sure the Resistance parameter has no R in it. Ex: 10k instead of 10kR. Sometimes the autofill does this incorrectly

Capacitors:

• Make sure it is rated for whatever voltage you will be applying to it. Because of derating, you typically want your rated voltage to be at least 3x the voltage that will be applied to it. For example if I am applying 3.3V to a capacitor, a 6.3V rated part would not be sufficient. A 10V or higher rated capacitor would work much better. Check out this article for more info: https://www.sparkfun.com/news/1271
• Capacitors with a higher voltage rating or higher capacitance will require a larger package size
• Try to use X5R or X7R dielectrics. These are the ones that you will typically find suggested on datasheets. The only difference between these two is the operating temperature range
• Microfarads is should be denoted as uF, not μF

Inductors:

TBD

Diodes:

TBD