Making Altium component libraries from .csv file DigiKey Table downloads

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Hello,

I have database tools that can convert a .csv file into records in an Altium Database component library (.dbLib). One of the wonderful things about Altium libraries in general is that every component has a Part Choices attachment, which allows real - time inventory checks from inside an Altium schematic, or off of their “ActiveBom” documents. When I filter the parts I want to add to such a library for download in a component search table on the website, I can use the “Download Table” button to get a .csv file with up to 500 components in the filtered search.

The speedbump in my process is with the DigiKey part number field. My library database tools create a component link for the aforementioned Part Choice from the Supplier (DigiKey) and the Supplier (DighiKey) part number. The problem is that every manufacturer’s part number comes down in the .csv file with all three variants of DigiKey part numbers. Here is an example:

For the Stackpole Electronics RMCF0402FT10K0 resistor, EVEN IF I filter my table for Cut Tape packaging only, what is entered in to the generated CSV file in the DK Part # field is:

“RMCF0402FT10K0TR-ND,RMCF0402FT10K0CT-ND,RMCF0402FT10K0DKR-ND”

My tools flag that as an invalid part number, and no Supplier Link / Part Choice can be automatically generated. The way that DK Part # field is formatted screws things up. My only recourse is to try to add the somewhat painful step of editing up to 500 lines in the CSV file in Notepad++ or something like it.

Is there any way to set up some kind of tool to force a table download to only pick one of those part numbers that have commas inside the data field, like perhaps, just the Cut Tape version? Perhaps your API for Developers team can help?

Thanks,
Brian

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A bit of creativity with the Excel find/replace function can go a long way. It recognizes the asterisk (*) as a multi-character wildcard, so (for example) replacing *, with nothing should delete everything but the last entry in a comma-separated list. One would have to watch out for those oddball vendors that decide to use commas in their part numbers, but it’s better than doing everything manually.

Another of my favorite tricks is to find/replace units with their scientific notation equivalent; mA becomes e-3, uA becomes e-6, etc. and in a few moments one has a strictly numeric column that maths nicely…

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