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Parts

The parts view is the dedicated workspace for finding, comparing, and applying real RF parts across a chain. It is broader than the block-level Link Part flow: instead of working on one block at a time, Parts View helps you evaluate candidate parts in context of the full signal chain.

What Parts View is for​

Use Parts View when you want to:

  • review the chain block by block in signal-flow order
  • see how much of the chain already has linked parts
  • search the parts database for candidates that match the selected block
  • compare multiple candidates side by side
  • apply a candidate and immediately see the effect on the chain
  • inspect the currently linked part, frequency coverage
  • upload a datasheet and sync it to a block

Layout​

Parts View is organized into three working areas:

  • Block Detail — shows the selected block's component, label, linked part, current parameters, frequency coverage, and datasheet actions
  • Search & Results — lets you search for matching parts and review candidate results
  • Compare Candidates — lets you pin up to three parts and compare them before applying one

At the top of the view, SigChain also shows:

  • BOM coverage for the chain
  • live metrics such as total gain, cascaded NF, cascaded IIP3, and estimated output power
  • a chain strip so you can move between eligible blocks quickly

Parts View follows signal-flow order. Select a block from the chain strip to work on it.

The view excludes some components that are not part-selection targets in this workflow, such as LO, DAC, and output blocks.

On desktop layouts, the three columns are resizable.

Searching for parts​

Search is not limited to a simple keyword match. The selected block helps drive the search:

  • the block component is used as the default part component when you have not specified one explicitly
  • the system frequency band can be applied automatically when you have not entered a frequency filter yourself
  • free text is parsed into structured filters when possible

Examples of supported search intent:

  • component or category terms such as PA, LNA, mixer, attenuator, bandpass
  • manufacturer names
  • part-number text
  • parameter filters such as 2-3 GHz, NF <= 1.2 dB, gain 15-20 dB

Active filters appear as buttons below the search bar. You can remove that button to broaden the search without rewriting the whole query.

Reviewing search results​

  • each row shows key summary fields such as MPN, category, subcategory, NF, gain, and frequency range
  • rows can be expanded to inspect more parameter detail
  • a datasheet button is available when a datasheet reference exists
  • the currently linked part is marked in the table

Comparing candidates​

You can pin up to three candidate parts from the search results and compare them in the compare panel.

The compare area includes:

  • pinned candidate cards with quick actions
  • direct Apply action from the compare panel
  • a parameter comparison table across the pinned parts

Comparison values are color-coded:

  • green for the best value in metrics where higher or lower is better
  • red for the worst value
  • gray for neutral or missing values

This is useful when several parts all technically match the search, but differ in NF, gain, linearity, compression, or frequency coverage.

Applying a part​

Applying a part links that database component to the selected block and attempts to populate supported block parameters from the component data.

Important behavior:

  • only supported block parameters are auto-populated
  • some non-block fields, such as price, may be shown in the UI without being written into block parameters
  • if a block already has user-set values that disagree with the datasheet values, those conflicts are not silently overwritten

When conflicts exist, SigChain opens a review step so you can:

  • keep your current values
  • apply selected datasheet values
  • apply all datasheet values for the conflicting fields

Inspecting the selected block​

The Block Detail panel is the working context for the selected block.

It shows:

  • the block component
  • the editable block label
  • the currently linked part, if one exists
  • current component-supported parameters on the block
  • out-of-component parameters, if present
  • unit price display when available for the linked part

This panel is useful for checking whether a linked part introduced parameters outside the component template, or whether important values are still missing.

Frequency coverage​

Parts View includes a frequency coverage visualization for the selected block.

It compares:

  • the linked part's frequency range
  • the system spec frequency range

The status is shown as:

  • Full coverage
  • Partial overlap
  • No overlap

This helps catch parts that look good on NF or gain but do not actually cover the required operating band.

Datasheet actions​

The selected block also exposes datasheet-related actions:

  • View Datasheet when a linked part has a datasheet reference
  • Upload PDF to attach a datasheet file for parsing
  • Parse with AI to send the selected PDF into the datasheet parsing workflow

Use this when the library entry is incomplete or when you need to extract additional parameters from a datasheet PDF.

We currently do not support storing of uploaded datasheet PDFs. They are only used to parse with AI.

Unlinking a part​

If you unlink the currently linked part from Parts View, the block is disconnected from that component entry.

In the current Parts View workflow, unlinking also clears datasheet-sourced parameters from the block.