Live Supplier Data - Managing Supplier Links

At the heart of Altium Designer's Live Links to Supplier Data feature is the Supplier Link. This fundamental entity provides the live link between an Altium Designer component and an item in a supplier's database of electronic components.

Creation of a Supplier Link involves the addition of two parameters to the target Altium Designer component involved:

• Supplier n
• Supplier Part Number n

n is an integer suffix, used to distinguish between Supplier Items where multiple links are added to the same component.

Manually Creating a Supplier Link

Creating a Supplier Link is a simple, straightforward process. Use the Supplier Search panel to search for the required Supplier Item. Once found, simply click on that item, in the results region of the panel, then drag and drop onto the target component. Exactly where to 'drop' depends on the type of component, as detailed in the following sections.

Schematic Library Component (SchLib)

1. Drag and drop anywhere within the main editing area of the Schematic Library Editor, ensuring the source Schematic Library document is the active document in the main design window and the recipient component is focused.
    
   
   Drop the Supplier Item into the main editing window.
    
2. Drag and drop onto the component's name (in the Components region of the SCH Library panel).
    
   
   Drop the Supplier Item onto the component's name.
    
3. Drag and drop into the Supplier Links region of the SCH Library panel.
    
   
   Drop the Supplier Item into the Supplier Links region of the SCH Library panel.

You can also create Supplier Links from within the Supplier Links region of the SCH Library panel. Simply click on the Add button to access the Add Supplier Links dialog. This dialog has the same look, feel and functionality, as the Supplier Search panel. Simply search for the required item, select it in the upper (results) region) and click OK to add the link to the schematic library component.

Add links directly from within the SCH Library panel.

Database/SVN Database Library Component (DbLib, SVNDbLib)

Drag and drop onto the required component record, on the Table Browser tab of the relevant Database Library file or SVN Database Library file, ensuring the DbLib or SVNDbLib file is the active document in the main design window.

Placed Component on a Schematic Sheet

Drag and drop onto the schematic symbol of a placed component, ensuring the source schematic document is the active document in the main design window.

Automatically Creating a Supplier Link

A Supplier Link can also be created automatically in one of the following ways:

• By right-clicking on the Supplier Item entry in the results region of the Supplier Search panel and choosing the Add Supplier Link To command. If a Schematic, Database or SVN Database Library is active, the Supplier Link will be added to the focused component/component record. If a Schematic document is active, you will be able to click on each part to which you want the Supplier Link added.

• By right-clicking on the Supplier Item entry in the results region of the Supplier Search panel and choosing the Add Supplier Link And Parameters To command. This command is used to add parameters, data sheet links, pricing and stock information for the selected Supplier Item, along with a Supplier Link to that item, all in the one step. If a Schematic, Database or SVN Database Library is active, the parameters and Supplier Link will be added to the focused component/component record. If a Schematic document is active, you will be able to click on each part to which you want the parameters and Supplier Link added.

• When creating a new library component, by right-clicking on the Supplier Item entry in the results region of the Supplier Search panel and choosing the Import Into LibraryName As ComponentName / PartNumber command. This command is used to create a new component in the target library (SchLib, DbLib, SVNDbLib) directly from the selected Supplier Item. The ComponentName/PartNumber for the new component will be named using the Supplier Item's Manufacturer Part Number parameter. A Supplier Link to the item will be added to the component, along with all parameters for that item (parameters, data sheet links, pricing and stock information).

Viewing and Editing Supplier Links

The Supplier Links currently defined for a library component, or placed component on a schematic sheet, can be viewed and edited using the Supplier Links dialog. To access this dialog:

• For a schematic library component – right-click anywhere within the main editing window of the Schematic Library Editor and choose Supplier Links from the context menu that appears.

• For a Database library / SVN Database Library component – right-click inside the record for the component, on the Table Browser tab of the relevant Database Library file or SVN Database Library file, and choose Edit Supplier Links from the context menu that appears.

• For a placed component on a schematic sheet – right-click on the component and choose Supplier Links from the context menu that appears.

Manage the links for a component directly from within its associated Supplier Links dialog.

Enable the display of additional data columns, as required, by right-clicking on a column header and choosing from the subsequent pop-up. Click on a column header and drag horizontally to change the display order. Click on a column header to sort all defined links by that data attribute – price is often a good sorting choice!

As with the Supplier Search panel, you can use the Order Quantity field to see how pricing changes, per unit, based on quantity of item ordered from the supplier. In addition, you can also change the currency used for the Unit Price – simply select from a range of supported currencies in the drop-down field to the left of the Order Quantity field. Currency conversion will use the latest daily rates, provided you are signed in to your Altium account.

To add an additional Supplier Link, simply click on the Add button. The Add Supplier Links dialog will appear, from where you can search for, and add a link to, the required item.

Add a new link using the Add Supplier Links dialog.

To delete a Supplier Link for the component, simply select its entry, in the upper region of the Supplier Links dialog, then click the Remove button.