Crossing a part is a common function of the Application Engineering team here at Digi-Key. Using the part specifications / attributes we are often able to suggest a part the customer can use for their application. Customers come to us looking to cross or find a part in three general ways.
- I have a Digi-Key part number that is currently out of stock. Can you suggest a currently stocking part?
- I have a Manufacturer part number that is not in your system. Can you Cross to a stocking part?
- I have part specifications required for my project. Can you help identify a stocking part number?
Below I will go through some of the ways I crossed the following parts.
Please note that crossing parts based off the product attributes or available specifications may not yield an exact cross. At time there are certain specifications and features that are not shown on the Digi-Key site and for that reason it is always suggested that you review the manufacturer specified datasheet to ensure the product will work for your application.
Cross a Digi-Key Part
In this first example, I will use a USB cable 1487595-1-ND. This is a valid Digi-Key part number that we currently do not stock and comes with a 480 piece MOQ (minimum order quantity).
On a product that is listed on our site we can start by looking at the product attributes (specifications) on the product page. Below you will see I have selected the attributes that are important to me when crossing this part. Configuration, Shielding and the Specification (USB 2.0). In this instance I would have 92 options if length was not a requirement.
Since I have a large amount of options I have chosen to also match the length in this case and am now down to 11 options.
You can then click search and those 11 options will be brought up on a new page.
On this page you will see eleven results for this specific search. Because I am looking for an in-stock option at this point I will chose In Stock and click on Apply Filters.
This will then bring up 7 results that all have the same specifications as the original part and are all in stock.
Cross a Manufacturer Part Number
This can be more work depending on who the manufacturer is. For my example I am going to use UpBright power supply GT-81081-6015-T3. This is a power supply that is not sold by Digi-Key. Doing a quick Google search, I found the specifications for this AC/DC desktop power supply.| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Voltage Input | 90-264VAC |
| Voltage Output | 15VDC |
| Current Output | 4.3A |
| Connector Barrel Plug | 2.5mm ID, 5.5mm OD x 9.5mm Positive Center |
Using these specifications, I will start by searching “15V desktop power supply”
This will bring you to the AC/DC Desktop/Wall Adapters section. Alternately you can click on the Products tab on the main page and then select Power Supplies (External/Internal off board) and then AC/DC Desktop / Wall Adapters to get to the same place. This roadmap is shown on the top of any product page.
Since I know the specifications/attributes I am looking for I can select these from the search filters. Generally, I would suggest starting at the most important feature and choosing one at a time. This makes sure you do not eliminate a good option because it does not match 100%. i.e. if you choose and input voltage of 90-264VAC and do not choose 90-275VAC you may eliminate a product that would work for your applications. Here is how I proceeded.
- I am looking for an in-stock options so I chose in-stock and clicked apply filters.
- I need 15VDC output.
- Next I need an output current of 4.3A. Here I chose 4.3-5.3A as a slightly higher output current would work for this supply. (If this search did not yield enough results this number could be increased.)
- I need to make sure I have the correct output connector so I select 2.5mm ID, 5.5mm OD x 9.5mm and Positive Center
- These filters have narrowed my search down to 3 options by selecting 90-264VAC input in this case would have narrowed it down to one. In my example I have 2 options that are also 80-264VAC and would be acceptable crosses as well.
Cross a part with specifications only.
This is less of a cross and more just a search and follows many of the same steps we used for crossing a manufacturer part number. For this example, I am going to use a through hole resistor with values of 10k Ohm, 5%, 1/4 Watt, Metal Film. I am going to start my search with the words "Through Hole Resistor." You can also add more features as well, however if you add too many features you can exclude some items that will work for you. You can also use the products road map by selecting Products on the main page and clicking Resistors and then Through Hole resistors.- First I am looking for an in-stock product today so I will select In Stock.
- My most important feature is I need the resistor to be 10kOhm so I will select 10kOhm and apply filters.
- My customer has specified metal film so I select the appropriate composition.
- I am looking for a tolerance of 5%, however since tighter is better I will choose 1%, 2% and 3% as well as to not eliminate possible options.
- For power I am looking for 1/4 watt. I will choose 1/4w to 1/2w options again to maximize the results. If this was a less common number I could chose all of the power values higher than 1/4-watt as they would all work electrically, physical may be an issue with larger wattage resistors.
This now leaves me with 49 options. I also notice that if I select the specific tolerance I am looking for of 5% I do not have any 1/4W options. I have a choice at this point I can chose to keep the 5% and increase the power rating of the resistor, or I can improve the tolerance to 1% and keep the 1/4-watt rating. I chose to keep the 1/4-watt rating as going to a 1/2-watt resistor could create size issues depending on your application.
I am now at 16 results and all of these would meet or exceed the specifications given. Looking at bulk options 10.0KXBK-ND would be a good option. If the customer would prefer a cut-tape option S10KCACT-ND would be a good cross.
In Conclusion
While I have only looked at 3 specific parts in this post the functionality of the searches are applicable to most of the parts that you or any customer is looking for. Should you have any questions on crossing a part please feel free to ask by clicking reply below. If you need help crossing a specific part please feel free to post in our Cross Reference category and out team of Techs and Engineers will be happy to assist you.
Here is also a guide to finding a replacement switch.