Zentroid's Electronic Components Naming Convention
Zentroid now defines a standard for naming components. I started Zentroid due to my work with CAD data and deficiencies or inefficiencies with my tools or the data itself. With my many years experience in the field I hope to give you the chance to standardise the use of component names. This page will give you the usage details. I will give an example at the bottom of each package type page so once you have navigated to the various types of packages scroll to the bottom. If you need to customise your names take a quick look at my Data page for some suggestions of characters and symbols you may want to avoid when naming packages and components.
I'll start showing you how Zentroid names components with a table of the letters and their combinations that Zentroid names use. The second table shows the usage and default values for common components. Then I will describe accurately how Zentroid names, with their default values, are used.
Letter usage in Zentroid Component Names
| Letter(s) | Usage Description |
|---|---|
| a | Ampere value in mA |
| A | Ampere value in A |
| v | Voltage |
| zv | Zener Voltage |
| r | Used to indicate the period position in small resistive values |
| z | Used to indicate a measurement of impedance, in ohms, without frequency specified |
| kHz | kilo-hertz |
| MHz | Mega-hertz |
| GHz | Giga-hertz |
| p | Used to indicate a percentage value follows |
| w | Used to indicate a milli-watt value follows |
| W | Used to indicate a watt value follows |
| t | Used to indicate a type string follows, ie. cog, x7r, etc. |
| ppmk | The temperature coefficient in degrees Kelvin |
| ppmc | The temperature coefficient in degrees Celsius |
Component Name Examples and Default Values
| Zentroid Name | Common Name | Default Values |
|---|---|---|
| cc2012x12'104 | c0805? | 10% 50Volt COG -applies to all chip capacitors |
| rc1005x03'1211 | r0402? | 63mW 50 Volt ppmk25 |
| rc1508x04'1211 | r0603? | 100mW 75 Volt ppmk25 |
| rc2012x05'1211 | r0805? | 125mW 150 Volt ppmk25 |
| rc3015x06'1211 | r1206? | 250mW 200 Volt ppmk25 |
| rc6430x07'1211 | r2512? | 500mW 300 Volt ppmk25 |
Usage of Zentroid Component Names
First, why use a Zentroid name. I have often seen difficulties arise in the conversion process of CAD (Pick and Place) data. An assembly machine needs a unique name or each component. Your company may have it's own article number but it is not likely that of another company's. Your design team may also work with conventional names which often do not state default values and or provide a unique naming convention. Zentroid aims to allow you to use the shortest possible names, most often and retain the possibility to create unique names for all components.
cc3015x15'104- Capcitor Chip 3.0mm Long, 1.5mm Wide, 1.5mm High 100nF
- Zentroid uses the ' symbol to separate/delimit major sections of the components name. The first section is the package name followed by the component's values. A third section may be included giving the manufacturers abreviation. If you do not include this third section then the name applies to any manufacturer of the named component.
- Full Name: cc3015x15'104p10v50tcog'kem
- The second section (value) starts with 104. For all capacitors the value of capacitance is given in pF. The last digit is a multiplier leaving 2 significant digits before it. In this case we have 100,000 pF or 100 nF. The next letter p followed by the number 10 indicates the tolerance of the capacitor is 10%. 10% is the default tolerance for capacitors. Following this we have the letter v followed by the number 50. The default voltage limit for capacitors is 50 Volt. The letter t for type is followed by the letters cog. This refers to the type of capacitor. Loosely speaking COG is the newer name of NPO. Other types you might deal with are X7R, X5R, X8R, etc. cog is Zentroid's default value for the capacitor type. I have included a manufacturer's name (Kemet) in abbreviated form for demonstration purposes. The default is not to indicate a manufacturer's name.
- The purpose of default values is to keep component names as short as possible when possible. I have searched through many web pages and found these values to be common values. If your business is different then apply your values and inform those that you work with. If for your application other characteristics or values are pertinent then drop me a line and I can include them.
rc2012x05'1002- Resistor Chip 2.0mm Long, 1.2mm Wide, 0.5mm High 10kΩ
- The second section (again value) starts with 1002 These first four digits are 3 significant digits followed by a multiplier. The value is always ohms. For values smaller than 1 ohm substitute an "r" for the first digit. The following three digits then become significant digits for tenths, hundredths, and thousands of ohms. As an example r050 would indicate a shunt/resistor with 50 mΩ. .
- Full Name: rc2012x05'1002p1w125v150ppmk25'vis
- Following the resistive value is the entry for tolerance. p1 indicates that a percent values follows with the value "1". Zentroid uses 1% as the default value for resistor tolerance. A leading zero indicates that the value is less than 1 percent. p01 would indicate then a precision resistor with a tolerance of 0.1 percent. Next comes w125. From the above table we know "w" indicates milli-watts. The wattage value of this resistor is 125mW. Zentroid uses this value as the default wattage value for resistors of this size which brings us to a complication. Resistor packages have variable default values for wattage and voltage. The next table below lists Zentroid's resistor package specific default values. After the wattage value comes the voltage value v150. Lastly we have the entry for the resistors temperature coefficient ppmk25. This can be given as shown or relative to Celsius degrees. ppmk25 is Zentroid's default value for all resistors. Once again I have indicated a manufacturer's name (vis) just to demonstrate the usage. For manufacturers Zentroid's default is all manufacturers.
- The purpose of default values is to keep component names as short as possible when possible. I have searched through many web pages and found these values to be common values. If for your application other characteristics or values are pertinent then drop me a line and I can include them. Also let me know if I can extend the package list to suit your needs.
Package Dependent Resistor Default Values
| Package | Wattage | Voltage |
|---|---|---|
| rc1005x03 | 63mW | 50 Volt |
| rc1508x04 | 100mW | 75 Volt |
| rc2012x05 | 125mW | 150 Volt |
| rc3015x06 | 250mW | 200 Volt |
| rc6430x07 | 500mW | 300 Volt |
Note: The names shown are not Zentroid default names in such that they represent the most common packages with an accurate indication of height. These are names to be used when critical or accurate dimensions are not important. Someone working in your stock room will not be breaking capacitors or resistors out of their packaging to measure them accurately. These names are simply formed by multiplying the common imperial measurement (name) by 2.54 and giving a successive height for the common packages. When the packages are received by your assembly, optical inspection, or other departments that demand accurate definition of the packages then the names should be changed to suit the application or machine requirements.
lc1508x08'1- Inductor Chip 1.5mm Long, 0.8mm Wide, 0.8mm High 1nH
- Zentroid does not define default values for inductors.
- The second section (value) starts with and ends with 1. The first value is the inductors value in nH. In the cases of small chip components this can be as small as 1nH. When the value exceeds 99 the third digit is used as a multiplier. Some manufacturers specifications for inductors do not include values in Henrys so you may be limited to a resistive value or values at various frequencies. Use the letter z to indicate such a value. Amperage of the inductor can be given with a or A.
- Do to the complexity of specifying inductor values I highly recommend with inductors that you leave the value section of the name as simple as possible. Follow it with the manufactures abbreviation followed then with their part number. In a case like above the name would be given as...
- Full Name: lc1508x08'mtp'MCFT000037
- Some integrated circuit devices are made available in a variety of packages so I tend to start all component names with the package as defined by Zentroid. In some cases like Vishay's, they use within their part number a description of the package so such a package might also be well named as ''vis'ILC0603ER1N0S.
- For many companies such a name will just be the description attached to their part number of the particular component. In other cases companies may be supplied materials from other companies and not wish to include these materials within their book-keeping/stock systems. A generic name such as the Zentroid name can then be very useful as the actual name of a component.
omv6_254p31x14b'49MHz- Oscillator, molded with 6 Concave pins, 2.54mm Pitch, 3.1mm Pin over Pin, 1.4mm High, Bright, Frequency of 49MHz
- In respect to oscillators most often is the frequency the only value needed in a name. Of course here you can also give a manufacturer specification and/or part number.
udg8_127p60x16'lm555- "Microchip" Dual Gull-wing with 8 pins, 1.27mm Pitch, 6.0mm Pin over Pin, 1.6mm High, LM555
- A common timer ic with it's common name. Once again a specific manufacturers abbreviation may be given.
- You should now be able to name accurately most SMT components with Zentroid's convention for package and component naming. You will find more examples scattered throughout the pages on package names.