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MARL's Part Number Structure - Featuring the 677 Series
Sometimes a consistent, top selling product becomes almost synonymous with a range - for us that's how the 677 Series represents our indicators. Internally whenever we're looking for a placeholder, a part number to test in a report or one to give as an example to start a part number with, we often can't help starting with the classic "677-"
This brings us neatly onto our part number structure. Did you know there is method in the madness? Simplified, it goes like this:
Product Series - LED (Colour) - Voltage
In more detail, we also tack numbers onto the end to represent elements like flying leads or customisation.
Look at the 677 Series datasheet - it's a great example of a thoroughly fleshed-out product series in our most common range of colours and voltages.
So, what would we put next? We could "go green" with a 532, one of the green LEDs. We'd then finish off with something like a -23 - the voltage code, in this case meaning 24-28Vdc. The best seller in the series this year is in fact the 677-532-23 - the green in 24-28Vdc. Now you know the basics.
"Ohh I get it, well I've seen from other datasheets that yellow is -325-, so..."
Ah, not so fast! That middle number is the LED number. We don't just use one LED per colour, but different sizes and sometimes different wavelengths or other parameters. The 325 is a yellow LED we use, but a 3mm one for smaller indicators (you'd see it in that little 604 Series). If you were looking at a 677 Series, it'd be 521, a common 5mm yellow LED we use.
Usually it's down to the shape, size or features of the product series, so the trick is to look at other parts on the same datasheet, or often similar datasheets, and maybe you can "unlock" that coding and invent new combinations. Feel free to ask if you do, as we can offer semi-custom parts - but don't worry, whilst it's an interesting insight (well... interesting to nerds like your humble blog writer) you don't really have to learn the coding - just ask "can you do this one in blue at 48Vdc?" and we'll work out the rest.
