KB: Manufacturer Parameters Overwritten by Part Choices in Exported BOM

Users have reported that custom parameters like Manufacturer 1 and Manufacturer Part Number 1 are being overwritten in the exported BOM. Instead of showing manually entered values, these fields display data from the part choices linked to the component. This behavior causes confusion when users expect their own manufacturer data to appear in the BOM.

BOM System Fields

Altium Designer treats Manufacturer n and Manufacturer Part Number n as system-reserved fields. When part choices are present, ActiveBOM automatically fills these fields with manufacturer and part number information from the part choice configuration, overriding any local values.

Recommended Approach

To prevent this overwrite and preserve custom data:

• Rename local parameters to avoid using reserved field names.
• Use unique names like MPN 1 or MFG 1 instead of Manufacturer Part Number 1 or Manufacturer 1.

How to Fix 

• Rename Parameters:
  • Use unique names like MPN 1 or MFG 1 instead of Manufacturer Part Number 1 or Manufacturer 1.
• In Schematic:
  

  • Navigate to: Tools » Parameter Manager.
  • Use the Parameter Manager to locate and rename affected parameters, e.g., Manufacturer and Manufacturer Part Number columns to something unique like MPN1 and MFG1.
  • Note: These changes are local to the project.  
  • It is recommended to update these parameters in the component library rather than directly in the schematic document to ensure consistency across designs.
• For Workspace Components:
  • Use the Batch Editor to apply changes across multiple components efficiently
• Optional:
  • Consider using Part Choices for supply chain integration, including stock, pricing, and lifecycle tracking.

Additional Notes

• Renaming parameters avoids conflicts with Altium’s system-reserved fields and ensures that manually entered data is preserved during BOM export.
• Use Part Choices to add supply chain information to components instead of defining it as local parameters.  
• The Customer Part Provider option is available for integrating a local supply chain database.

Related Articles

• Managing ActiveBOM Solutions
• Using the Parameter Manager
• Batch Component Editing
• Adding Supply Chain Information to a Component