Introducing Part Series Pages on Octopart

Update: Parts in a series are now displayed on the search results page. When your search returns a part in a series, you'll be able to click on that series on the results page!

Octopart is proud to announce that we are introducing part series pages. A series is a group of parts branded by a manufacturer, all having similar function but different variations in technical specs. For example, consider Murata’s GRM series of ceramic capacitors. Murata GRM capacitors can differ in voltage rating, capacitance, and size, but they are all intended to be used in applications like decoupling or power supply protection.

The parts in a series all have similar part numbers. These part numbers actually encode each of the variations in specs that differentiate parts from one another. For example, the symbol “104” in this part number indicates that this part has a capacitance of 100 nF.

If you’re looking at a part that we’ve identified to be in a series, you’ll see a link to the series page. Clicking through, you’ll see a list of parts in the series, specs which are common to all of those parts, and a breakdown of that series’ part numbering system, using your original part as an example.

You can use this display to search for parts within a series. Let’s say you need a 33 nF capacitor and you’re looking at our page for the GRM series from Murata. You like everything you see about this part, including the 402 case package size and the voltage rating of 50 V DC, but you need a different capacitance. Uncheck the capacitance row, and you will be able to search across this series for a part with the right value.

Visit our part series directory for a listing of all 338 series—encompassing 3 million parts— categorized by their manufacturers. Now that we’ve added part series, we’ve given you the structure and tools to more confidently navigate the space of parts to find what you are looking for.