The parts encyclopedia for people who ship hardware
Every gotcha that breaks a board, written down before it breaks yours.
PCBWiki documents the parts engineers actually use: strapping pins, dropout limits, counterfeit tells, footprint variants, and the datasheet fine print behind them. Every specification is verified against the manufacturer’s datasheet — and every datasheet is linked at the source, never re-hosted.
Design guides
20 verified- ESP32-WROOM-32Wi-Fi and Bluetooth MCU module with dual-core Xtensa LX6, 4 MB flash, and on-board PCB antenna.
- STM32F103C8T672 MHz Cortex-M3 MCU with 64 KB flash; the Blue Pill board chip.
- RP2040Dual Cortex-M0+ 133 MHz MCU with 264 KB SRAM and external QSPI flash.
- ATmega328P8-bit AVR MCU with 32 KB flash; Arduino Uno chip; also PDIP-28.
- NE555Classic bipolar timer for astable and monostable circuits.
- LM358Dual general-purpose op-amp; single-supply but not rail-to-rail output
- AMS1117-3.31 A LDO with about 1.1 V dropout; ubiquitous 5 V to 3.3 V regulator
- TP40561 A single-cell Li-ion linear charger on ubiquitous red and blue modules
- MCP73831500 mA single-cell Li-ion linear charger with programmable current.
- MP1584EN3 A peak 28 V-input buck converter on countless cheap modules
- BME280Combined temperature humidity and pressure sensor on I2C or SPI
- MPU-60506-axis accelerometer and gyro; GY-521 module chip; clones dominate supply
- CH340CUSB-to-UART bridge with internal oscillator; dominant on budget dev boards.
- W25Q32JV32 Mbit QSPI NOR flash; standard MCU companion flash
- 1N4148100 V small-signal switching diode; multi-source jellybean
- BSS13850 V 220 mA N-channel MOSFET; standard bidirectional level-shifter part
- IRLZ44N55 V 47 A logic-level N-channel MOSFET for hobby power switching
- TLV9002Dual 1 MHz rail-to-rail op-amp for 1.8-5.5 V supplies
- DS18B201-Wire digital temperature sensor; heavily counterfeited.
- TYPE-C-31-M-12USB-C 16-pin USB 2.0 receptacle; generic-class part widely cloned.
Categories
- Microcontrollers — MCUs and MCU modules: minimal circuits, strapping and boot pins, clock requirements, and the supply gotchas that cause field failures.
- Voltage Regulators — Linear regulators and references: dropout, stability requirements, quiescent current, and thermal limits.
- Buck Converters — Step-down switchers: real continuous-current ratings, external diode requirements, and layout-sensitive nodes.
- Battery & Power Management — Chargers, protection ICs, and fuel gauges: termination behavior, load-sharing, and safety pins that cheap modules leave out.
- Op-Amps & Comparators — Operational amplifiers: real output swing, input common-mode limits, and supply ranges — where datasheet fine print breaks circuits.
- Timers & RTCs — Timer ICs and real-time clocks: supply behavior, decoupling, and timing accuracy.
- Sensors — Environmental, motion, and current sensors: address pins, self-heating, counterfeit detection, and interface modes.
- MOSFETs & Transistors — Discrete switches: gate-drive requirements at logic levels, SOA limits, and the classic substitution mistakes.
- Diodes — Rectifiers, small-signal, Schottky, and TVS diodes: ratings, recovery, and package migration.
- Interface ICs — USB bridges, transceivers, expanders, and level shifters: driver situations, reference pins, and bus speed limits.
- Memory — SPI NOR flash, EEPROM, and FRAM: write granularity, protect bits, and boot compatibility.
- Connectors — USB-C, JST, and power connectors: footprint variance across clones, retention mechanics, and the CC-resistor rules.