A search tool for jlc (lcsc) parts

[teletypeguy]

It has always been hit-or-miss trying to find parts using the jlcpcb or lcsc websites. My primary vendor is generally mouser (who has a great search tool) but I periodically add jlc part numbers to my database as a secondary vendor when I want an assembly done there.

A simple search today on jlcpcb to find garden-variety 0603 resistors was getting minimal hits of mostly non-stocked parts and some with a few thousand stock – there should have been basic parts with millions in stock. I searched to maybe find some jlc lists folks had created and posted and ran across this on eevblog:

I certainly agree with phil from seattle that the jlc search interface “sucks beyond belief.” Anyway, the link to a search tool is interesting. Someone (who could be on here for all I know) created a website that pulls jlc data (it takes a few minutes to pull) and provides a search that actually produces results.
https://yaqwsx.github.io/jlcparts/#/
FWIW I found it handy.

[greg_m]

This JLCparts search engine is much better. I use it regularly.

[retiredfeline]

Cool website. Is there a way to restrict the search to Basic parts?

[teletypeguy]

click basic/extended to sort that way, or also handy to sort by stock level high-to-low:

Looks like this is the brainchild of @yaqwsx and I now find that David and others have mentioned this site in earlier posts. I just stumbled on it today, but hey it deserves more visibility. Darned handy site for anyone wanting to assemble at jlcpcb and find parts before they start (or final) their design.

[jmk]

@yaqwsx is indeed a member of this forum. He is also responsible for the Plug-in “KiKit”

[bask185]

I agree that JLC’s website sucks for searching parts. I have learned however to work with it.

I learned that in order to find myself a specific resistor (with a value not present in my personal libs), I search on ‘resistor’ than I click on ‘Chip resistor surface mount’. Than I apply just 1 filter for the footprints. And to find the value I am using the secondary search bar underneath the filters. For < 1k values I first have to google ‘ohm sign’ for a copy paste as I can find no alt code for it.

I quickly learned that the filters sorta suck, partially not fully. Also with things like resistor values they simply don’t work well.

This value filter has greyed out values. So obviously there is no basic part for a 0.017Ω but apparently there is a basic part for 0.019?

So you click on the value filter on 0.019 and I see that results counter jumps to 1.

So great, I single basic resistor with this exotic value.

So you just click on the big apply button and than all the sudden: ZERO results

Ofcourse I understand there ain’t no basic part for such a strange value resistor. So I go back to the filter and I click on 10kΩ. I hit apply and nothing

Huh, no basic 0603 resistor with 10k? that is strange. This cannot possibly be true, right?

But if I delete the value filter and use that secondary search bar

There she is!

Total BS filters and search engine.

But to look for certain H-bridge motor drivers. Near impossible. I can get myself lists of all kind of driver ICs with numbers I don’t know. And than I realize that I am looking at unipolar stepper ICs, bipolar stepper ICs and H bridge ICs. When I just want the latter. And this goes for all kind of ‘exotic’ ICs.

I am going to create a desktop shortcut for this website. Great work .

I do have 2 observations. And I don’t know if it is possible at all.
1).
Next to basic parts I’d like to see ‘preferred extended’ parts as well. As they cost no extra feeder loading fee like basic parts. As the site is now you miss vital information which can save you lots of money

2). Things like motor ICs come in like 50+ different packages, anywhere between sot23-6 and multiwat THT TOxxx like packages. I dislike having to click all checkbox for all listed SMD parts. I’d like to simply click on ‘SMD only’ and filter out all THT parts.

Kind regards,

Bas

[greg_m]

Choose a category first, then scroll down to the Property filter and choose Basic (Preferred are also with no extra cost so worth selecting them too):

[bask185]

I cannot find that filter under property filters? Why am I not seeing it?

[retiredfeline]

It seems that you will not see the Basic/Extended property filter unless there are actually search results with those properties, i.e. if they are all Extended parts, then the B/E property filter doesn’t appear. For example try with the MMBT5551 transistor or 74HC595 IC for which there are Basic parts.

[greg_m]

I think it also depends on a category you selected. If all components in the category are one type (for example all are Extended) then the Basic / Extended filter is not visible.

[bask185]

But one of the many atmega’s is a preferred extended.

[greg_m]

C219269 ?
I found it by putting “atmega” in the top search box, then clicked “select all categories” blue button on the top right.
Now I can see Extended and Preferred filter.

Or when you select the correct category (Single Chip Microcomputer/Microcontroller → Microcontroller_Units_(MCUs_MPUs_SOCs)) then also the filter for Preferred appears and you can find it that way.

[Martinn]

BTW you can sponsor Jan “Honza” yaqwsx (Jan Mrázek) · GitHub if you like his work (I do).
Unfortunately his search panel got progressively less useful as the database (which is coming from JLC, I assume) is extremely messy and chaotic.

Two remarks: JLC’s own search function JLCPCB Assembly Parts Library & Component Sourcing - JLCPCB got continuously better and mostly I use that one now.
In addition, LCSC’s search is even better: Buy Electronic Components Online - LCSC Electronics
Of course not every LCSC component is available for JLC assembly, but it is worth checking.

One thing I would really like is if you could pull a component from a JLC search panel directly into the schematic (a bit like the Altium component search panel Manufacturer Part Search Panel | Altium Designer 21 Technical Documentation) where you would have schematic symbol, footprint and metadata (like LCSC order number) attached already. For discrete parts that would be possible using database libraries (I started writing a converter - did not get around to finish it, I have it working in Altium however). Even cooler would be having all components for drag and drop - the data is there (and immediately available if you use EasyEDA).

[greg_m]

This tool will partially do what you want - will download symbol, footprint and 3D model for given JLC parts:

GitHub - TousstNicolas/JLC2KiCad_lib: JLC2KICAD_lib is a python script that...

I don’t use JLC’s symbols and footprints, but I use it sometimes for 3D models.

PS. And Yes, I do support the developer of JLCparts search and KiKit on ko-fi

[Kedarius]

I use this tool for footprints, symbols (sometimes) and 3D models and it works great. Sometimes the footprints need a little tweaking (i.e. adding courtyards) but it worked for me so far. I use JLC for assembly and so I think it is a good idea to use their footprints.

[Martinn]

@greg_m

This tool will partially do what you want - will download symbol, footprint and 3D model for given JLC parts:

Yes, I also use that a lot.

BTW this is (partly) what I meant widh drag and drop: I implemented this for Altium. From yaqwsx’s database I select/copy some (like chip resistors, capacitors, LEDs), associate them with standard symbols/footprints and put them into a database library. From there you can simply place the parts into a schematic and all info is there.

With the new database libraries in KiCad this is possible as well, I started programming it but as I wrote didn’t get around to finish it. Anyway AFAIK the database component panel in KiCad does not support sorting or filtering, so it would not be too useful right now.

[Jim_HiTek]

Off topic but for help to easily find the Ω sign, go to your computer OS Menu or Launcher search function and type Character(s) and all the characters in the universe show up when the onboard character map pages show up. Enter ohm into the map search and Ω pops up. So no need for an online google search. Just C&P the character from the Character Map. I don’t recall ever seeing an OS that didn’t have a built-in character map, from Win 3.1 to Ubuntu 24.10.

[bask185]

I tried it, but is much more work than opening a browser and type ohm sign.

Scroll wheel does not work, and I cannot search for characters in the character map.

I also had to add a registery key in order to type alt codes containing a charcter. And it still does not work, because alt + happens to open some program of my toolbar. It is a bad windows day today

[Jim_HiTek]

Aww, yes, you are correct.

I switched to Win10 and I see they haven’t improved that Character Map app from the last time I used it 10 years ago or so. I switched to Linux 15 years ago but still use OrCAD in Windows on occasion. As soon as I opened it I remembered how cumbersome it is to find anything. I did find omega about 1/4 of the way from the bottom of the default page (near where the row of fractions are shown) but like you said it’s much easier to just copy the omega that shows up in google. That is if you have internet.

I did find with a google search that there are several software apps for Windows that improve that map but I didn’t dig deep enough to check for pay walls.

The app in Linux/Ubuntu is much simpler to use.

PS: The Page Up/ Page Dwn keys on the keyboard function imitates the scroll wheel.