BOM column details
You do not need this page to place an order. We read the BOM your CAD software exports; there is nothing to adjust. This page is for those who want to know what our standardised layout looks like and what we read from each column. Back to the Bill of Materials.
The guide below comes straight from the definitions our import tool works with. Change a column name, a description or a notation rule in the tool, and this page changes with it.
The column guide is in English: it is the exact text our import tool and our engineers work from.
Line
OptionalThe line number from the source file. Reference only.
- How to fill it in
- A running number for human reference only. Better not use '#' as the header.
- Also recognised as
- Line #, Line no., Row, Regel
Designator
MandatoryReference designators of the component on the PCB (R1, C2, U3). A row may list several, separated by comma, semicolon or space; the quantity of the line is the number of designators.
- How to fill it in
- The unique name of the component in the design, according to IPC. Separate several designators with a comma: C1, C2, C3, C4, C5. Do not contract ranges (C1-C5 or C1…C5); they are easily misread. Sorting the designators alphabetically helps readability.
- Also recognised as
- Des., Ref. Des., RefDes, Reference
Qty (Quantity)
OptionalQuantity per board. Only cross-checked against the number of designators — the designators are what actually determines the quantity.
- How to fill it in
- The number of designators on the line. Our software counts the designators itself and only uses this column as a cross-check.
- Also recognised as
- Quantity, Aantal, Amount
Do-not-place (DNP)
PreferredPlacement flag: whether this component is placed on the board. Also use it for a 'Fitted'/'Populate' column — the column does not need a particular wording, because each value is resolved separately.
- How to fill it in
- DNP: none of the designators on the line is placed. A designator (C3): only that designator of the line is not placed. This column matters for correct purchasing and assembly and usually has to be added by hand.
- Also recognised as
- Do Not Place, DNA, Do Not Assemble, NP, No Place, Niet plaatsen
- How the values are read
- Each distinct value in the column resolves to PLACE, DO_NOT_PLACE or IGNORE (skip the row entirely). Resolution order: (1) an explicit per-value mapping for this import, if one is set; (2) self-describing words — DO_NOT_PLACE for dnp, dna, dni, np, do not place/populate/fit/load, not fitted, unfitted, not populated, unpopulated, not placed, not mounted, no load, no stuff; PLACE for fitted, fit, place, placed, populate, populated, load, loaded, assemble, assembled, mount, mounted, stuff, stuffed (case-insensitive); (3) for anything left over, an empty cell means PLACE, and if the column has no self-describing word at all (yes/no, 1/0, x/blank) the MOST COMMON value is assumed to be PLACE and every other value DO_NOT_PLACE — because most parts on a board are placed. A column holding reference designators rather than a flag, or more than 4 distinct values, is not mapped at all: it falls back to reading a comma-separated list as the designators NOT to place, and any other text as 'this whole line is do-not-place'. If the column ALWAYS names designators, map it to DO_NOT_PLACE_DESIGNATOR instead of relying on that guess. Check the resolved mapping before importing; the frequency rule is a guess and it is wrong for a board where most parts are unplaced.
- Do Not Place (Designator)
- Which designators OF THIS ROW are not placed, when a row covers several designators and only some of them are unplaced. A row with designators R1,R2,R3,R4 and "R2,R4" in this column keeps R1 and R3 placed. Use this rather than DO_NOT_PLACE whenever the column holds designators instead of a yes/no-style flag.The cell lists designators, not a flag. Tokens may be separated by comma, semicolon or whitespace and are matched case-insensitively against the designators of the SAME row; every designator named is marked not-placed and the rest of the row stays placed. An empty cell means the whole row is placed. A token that names no designator on the row changes nothing and is reported as an import error, so a mis-mapped column shows up instead of silently doing nothing.
KLA-CC (Klant Levert Aan / Consigned by Customer)
PreferredFlag marking that the customer supplies this component themselves.
- How to fill it in
- CC (Consigned by Customer) or KLA (Klant Levert Aan): you supply this component yourself. Any value in this column marks the line as customer-supplied, so leave it empty for parts we purchase. Usually added by hand.
- Also recognised as
- KLA, CC, Consigned by Customer, Customer supplied, Klant levert aan
- How the values are read
- Presence-only: ANY non-empty value marks the line as customer-supplied, including 'no', 'n' and 'false'. There is no per-value mapping, so a column that spells out both answers must not be mapped here — only map a column where a filled cell genuinely means 'the customer supplies this part'.
Description
PreferredFree text describing the component: value, tolerance, voltage and power rating, footprint/package, dielectric, temperature coefficient. A BOM may spread this over several columns (Value, Tolerance, Footprint, Package): every column carrying such text is read as DESCRIPTION and they are joined into one description in column order. This is the text the component specification is parsed from, so more detail here means better matching. Part numbers and manufacturer names do not belong here.
- How to fill it in
- Free text describing the component. Our software analyses it to derive the value, and it is shown in the BOM Search Tool when a part has to be selected by hand.
- Also recognised as
- Omschrijving
Value and Package
Preferredevery line needs a Value, a Description or an MPN we can order fromFree text describing the component: value, tolerance, voltage and power rating, footprint/package, dielectric, temperature coefficient. A BOM may spread this over several columns (Value, Tolerance, Footprint, Package): every column carrying such text is read as DESCRIPTION and they are joined into one description in column order. This is the text the component specification is parsed from, so more detail here means better matching. Part numbers and manufacturer names do not belong here.
- How to fill it in
- Capacitors, in this order: capacitance, tolerance, voltage, dielectric and optionally the package: 100nF 10% 25V X7R 0603. Resistors: resistance, tolerance, power and optionally the package: 100k 10% 100mW 0603. Separate the variables with a space (100nF-10%-25V-X7R and 100nF/10%/25V/X7R are read as well). Units: fF pF nF uF mF F and mR R k M (R may be written E, Ω or Ohm); keep the number between 1 and 999, so 10nF rather than 10.000pF or 0.01uF. A part given by value only may be replaced by an equivalent part with the same value. An MPN may also be put here.
- Also recognised as
- Val, Waarde
- How to fill it in
- The component size in inches, IPC notation: 0603, 0805, 1206. The metric code may follow between brackets: 0603 (1608).
- Also recognised as
- Footprint, Case, Case/Package, Housing, Shape
Manufacturer
OptionalManufacturer name of the preferred part.
- How to fill it in
- Not needed when the MPN is given: an MPN is (almost) always unique on its own.
- Also recognised as
- Man., Mfr, Mfg, Fabrikant, Hersteller
- Manufacturer 2
- Manufacturer name of the first alternative.
- Manufacturer 3
- Manufacturer name of the second alternative.
- Manufacturer 4
- Manufacturer name of the third alternative.
- Manufacturer 5
- Manufacturer name of the fourth alternative.
- Manufacturers
- Several manufacturer names in one column, one per line. Pairs with MPNS in the same order.
MPN (Manufacturer Part Number)
Preferredthe surest way to identify a part; a complete Value is the alternativeManufacturer part number of the preferred part.
- How to fill it in
- The part number exactly as the manufacturer writes it in the datasheet. Alternative parts go in their own columns (MPN 2, MPN 3, …) rather than in the same cell.
- Also recognised as
- Manufacturer Part Number, Man Part Number, Part Number, Mfr Part No, Part no.
- MPN 2
- Manufacturer part number of the first alternative.
- MPN 3
- Manufacturer part number of the second alternative.
- MPN 4
- Manufacturer part number of the third alternative.
- MPN 5
- Manufacturer part number of the fourth alternative.
- MPNs
- Several manufacturer part numbers in one column, one per line. Pairs with MANUFACTURERS.
Supplier
PreferredDistributor name of the preferred supplier part.
- How to fill it in
- The supplier the part can be bought from. We purchase from Arrow, Digi-Key, Farnell, LCSC, Mouser, RS and TME; a part that none of them stocks we ask you to supply. Supplier plus SKU removes any doubt about which part is meant.
- Also recognised as
- Sup., Sup1, Distributor, Leverancier
- Supplier 2
- Distributor name of the first alternative supplier part.
- Supplier 3
- Distributor name of the second alternative supplier part.
- Supplier 4
- Distributor name of the third alternative supplier part.
- Suppliers
- Several distributor names in one column, one per line. Pairs with SUPPLIERS_SKU.
SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)
PreferredOrder number at the distributor named in SUPPLIER_1.
- How to fill it in
- The supplier's order number of the exact part. It also pins down the packaging (cut tape, reel) and shipping variant, which an MPN alone does not.
- Also recognised as
- Supplier part number, Order number, Order code, Distributor code, Bestelnummer
- Supplier 2 SKU
- Order number at the distributor named in SUPPLIER_2.
- Supplier 3 SKU
- Order number at the distributor named in SUPPLIER_3.
- Supplier 4 SKU
- Order number at the distributor named in SUPPLIER_4.
- Suppliers SKU
- Several distributor order numbers in one column, one per line. Pairs with SUPPLIERS.
- Arrow SKUmay occur more than once
- Order number at Arrow Electronics.
- DigiKey SKUmay occur more than once
- Order number at DigiKey.
- Distrelec SKUmay occur more than once
- Order number at Distrelec.
- Farnell SKUmay occur more than once
- Order number at Farnell.
- LCSC SKUmay occur more than once
- Order number at LCSC.
- Mouser SKUmay occur more than once
- Order number at Mouser Electronics.
- RS Components SKUmay occur more than once
- Order number at RS Components.
- TME SKUmay occur more than once
- Order number at TME.
- Würth SKUmay occur more than once
- Order number at Würth Elektronik.
CPN (Customer Part Number)
OptionalCustomer part number — the customer's own internal reference for this component.
- How to fill it in
- Your own internal article number. We keep it with the line for reference.
- Also recognised as
- Customer part number, Company part number, Internal part number, Art. no.
Remark
OptionalA remark or instruction from the customer about this component.
- How to fill it in
- Extra information for our engineers, in plain text. Use it sparingly: it is read by people, not by the import, so an instruction here can be missed.
- Also recognised as
- Remarks, Note, Notes, Opmerking
Allow alternatives
OptionalWhether an equivalent part may be substituted when the specified one is unavailable.
- How to fill it in
- Yes when an equivalent part may be substituted if the specified one is unavailable, no when only the exact part will do. Leave the cell empty to keep our default for the line.
- Also recognised as
- Alternative allowed, Alternatives allowed, Alternative, Alt. allowed
- How the values are read
- Each distinct value resolves to YES, NO or IGNORE (skip the row). Resolution order: (1) an explicit per-value mapping for this import; (2) YES for y, yes, ja, j, true, t, 1, allow, allowed, allow alternatives, alternatives allowed, on, x, v, ✓ and NO for n, no, nee, niet, non, false, f, 0, not allowed, disallow, disallowed, off, -, ✗ (case-insensitive). A value matching neither leaves the line's setting untouched rather than guessing.