How to store left overs part from digikey/mouser etc , is there a convenient way

[dimbmw]

Hi all
I buy parts from digikey mostly and i usually buy more than i need (like 10pcs when i need 3 etc). It all comes in plastic bags , sometimes in a stupidly huge ones. All these left overs are in multiple boxes scattered all over and i have no idea what i have, and it is always easier to order on digikey again rather than dig into multiple piles of crap. I bought a label printer and some cabinets with small plastic drawers , but there stupid digikey plastic bags do not fit there so it would have too much work to take everything out of their huge bags, put into small ones, print labels etc....
I am wondering if there are other similar sufferers as myself and if they found any easy way out of this mess.
Thanks!

[brucehoult]

Pretty much everything I get comes in tubes. Well, chips anyway. I just use a sharpie to label them (easier to read than trying to peer at chip markings through the plastic or taking one out) and put them all the tubes in a drawer together. I guess you could put them all in one big antistatic bag, but the tubes should be protective enough at home.

[dimbmw]

Pretty much everything I get comes in tubes. Well, chips anyway. I just use a sharpie to label them (easier to read than trying to peer at chip markings through the plastic or taking one out) and put them all the tubes in a drawer together. I guess you could put them all in one big antistatic bag, but the tubes should be protective enough at home.

Mine come mostly in antistatic bags  as bulk. Sometimes it is a 2 inch long tube with 5 ICs in there and the tube it is in the bag also, so is digikey or mouser label. Or it is a piece of tape in the bag.
I am thinking maybe at least i should buy some large plastic bins and sort resistors away from capacitors etc... but i have no idea how to keep track of what i have without too much work.

[rdl]

Normally for chips and discretes the packaging is not too excessive and it's almost always what's best for that part with respect to ESD, humidity, etc. So I just file by general type in plastic storage boxes (Sterilite with clamp on lids to avoid accidental spillage). I use a Sharpie to add large and easy to read basic info and value to the label which makes it easy to find when digging through the box. I also keep a rough inventory by spreadsheet, it's usually not too accurate but at least I have general idea of what's on hand.

[electrolust]

I have a pretty good storage system. I call it the trash can. I don't have to sort the parts, and someone takes it away to the storage facility for me. Retrieval is pretty easy also, I use a web retrieval system called digikey and for a small fee I get the parts back.

[brucehoult]

I have a pretty good storage system. I call it the trash can. I don't have to sort the parts, and someone takes it away to the storage facility for me. Retrieval is pretty easy also, I use a web retrieval system called digikey and for a small fee I get the parts back.

That works, but unfortunately in this part of the world adds a week or two of latency to sudden inspiration for a project.

OT: my new favourite part which I've just ordered some of

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/microchip-technology/SST39SF040-70-4C-PHE/SST39SF040-70-4C-PHE-ND

512kx8 70 nS flash in a 32 DIP with full parallel 19 bit address and 8 bit data bus. Twice as fast as EEPROM, and at $1.74 it's 5x cheaper than a 16 times smaller 32kx8 EEPROM. (There's also 128kx8 for $1.30 and 256kx8 for $1.51 if you want to pinch pennies) Plus normal software can erase sectors (or the whole chip) or write individual bytes using normal supply voltage and normal RAM write bus cycles (with a special pattern of writes). Rated 100,000 write cycles and 100 year data retention.

Why on earth would you use an EEPROM?


Runner up:

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/renesas-electronics-america-inc/71256SA12TPG/800-3674-ND

32kx8 12nS asynchronous SRAM in 28DIP for $3.27. Holy crap that's fast!

I'm looking at doing some kind of Ben Eater "SAP-1" or Gigatron no-microprocessor simple CPU. Probably more like Gigatron with the awful native instruction set used to create a better emulated ISA -- Gigatron started with their own 16 bit GCL (Gigatron Command Language) but really got interest when they did a 6502 emulation. With 12nS SRAM cheap like that you could make something that started up slow, copied EEPROM/flash (see above) to SRAM, then switched to running from the SRAM and cranked up the clock.  (SPI flash is even cheaper but would add a bunch of chips and complexity to make XIP work)

At those speeds it would need a proper board, not breadboards, but of course you can prototype it at slower speeds.

[dimbmw]

Normally for chips and discretes the packaging is not too excessive and it's almost always what's best for that part with respect to ESD, humidity, etc. So I just file by general type in plastic storage boxes (Sterilite with clamp on lids to avoid accidental spillage). I use a Sharpie to add large and easy to read basic info and value to the label which makes it easy to find when digging through the box. I also keep a rough inventory by spreadsheet, it's usually not too accurate but at least I have general idea of what's on hand.

so you put each p/n to its own box?

ps Sterilite looks attractive, are they stacking ? which model are you using? thanks!

[dimbmw]

I have a pretty good storage system. I call it the trash can. I don't have to sort the parts, and someone takes it away to the storage facility for me. Retrieval is pretty easy also, I use a web retrieval system called digikey and for a small fee I get the parts back.

i lived in a poor family in my childhood and i can’t make myself throw good new parts into trash... by the way you can send your parts to me once i figure how to sort them

[bill_c]

Put all the little bags from a single order into one larger bag or box and label it with the Digikey (or other) order number.   Add a colored stickers for year/month of order.  You can then search your order history online to find which order it was from.  Or save your order as PDF if you don't want to depend on the supplier.  Then just go find that box/bag. Digikeyis better than I am at keeping track of what I ordered.  Trying to sort by component type is kinda madness cause you have to open every box to distribute the spares after every order.

[ledtester]

I store a lot of components in literature mailer boxes - they are like the cardboard boxes that motherboards come in, but you can get them in larger sizes.

This allows me to store irregularly shaped / non-uniform bags, and they stack well. In most of the boxes I've placed dividers made of cardboard to keep things organized.

So there is a hierarchical system...

- each shelf has 3-4 stacks of literature boxes
- each stack has 4-5 boxes
- each box has a couple of internal dividers
- each internal area has bags of components (or even just loose parts - e.g. switches, knobs, etc.)

Bags can be either laid flat on top of each other or if you get small zip-lock bags you can stand them on end like index cards. I've done this for my 5% resistor and small-valued capacitor collection.

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

I have been using these "Erskine Box File" s that I found.

http://www.okoffice.com.au/product.asp?pID=38825&cID=2310

I also keep a record of items purchase so I can look an and see,  for instance what type of mosfets I have left over without checking whats inside each bag.

[Berni]

Get a bunch of identical boxes (>20), stack them on a set of shelves and label each box with a component category (Linear regs, opamps, digital logic, MCUs, memory, transistors, diodes, power semiconductors, inductors, capactitors...etc) then sort out the leftover components into those boxes.

It does take up quite a bit of room to keep that many boxes around, but it takes very little work to maintain organized and when you need a certain component just pull out the right box and dig trough the bags. Once bags are empty they go into the trash or if its a component you notice using a lot the bag goes into a "to order" pile. When the next digikey order comes around you also pick up the "to order" stack and add it to the order.

Buying some cheep ziplock bags off ebay also helps (They cost a few bucks for a pack of 100s) for repacking any components that might come in ridiculously massive packaging (like moisture sensitive). You can use a hot air rework station set on low to easily remove the original digikey label and stick it on the new small bag. I don't care for anti static bags, you are fine with normal ones as long as the components are not some special extremely static sensitive component such as a RF chip or SAW filter or something, keep those in antistatic foam.

Its not about saving money, its about saving time. Most of the parts in my storage will never get used, but when im quickly prototyping something and i need a component all i have to do is walk 2 meters to a shelf and grab it. So <1 minute to get my part compared to waiting for days to get them shipped to me. Its mostly parts that are leftover from projects so it doesn't cost me anything apart from the space to store them. Since its parts i used on other projects means they are the kind of parts i like to use and know how well they work.

EDIT:
Oh and for tiny components that you end up using a very often these boxes are great: https://www.adafruit.com/product/427
They can hold a lot of small SMD parts in a very dense footprint while allowing for quick access to them. The advantage of these is that they are small enough to bring to your workbench and pick out components one by one.
For labeling all of that i also recomend getting a USB label printer and use cheep chineese knockoff label tape cartridges (~3$ per cartrige)

[magic]

Normally for chips and discretes the packaging is not too excessive and it's almost always what's best for that part with respect to ESD, humidity, etc.

Except when you order 3 chips in quantity 3 and each comes in a separate bulky ESD box and ESD bag. Short strips of SMD components in the same large bags. Different values of identical resistors in separate bags. You name it.

That packing is incredibly inefficient. You can accept it if you are lazy, or reduce storage footprint several times by repacking things following common sense. I keep ICs in a few of those antistatic boxes, organized roughly by function. Passives in standard ziplock bags, organized by general "kind" and each strip labeled with exact value. Diodes all go to another ziplock bag, I don't have that many. Transistors in labeled ziplock bags appropriate to quantity and in another box. And so on. I avoid antistatic bags or even the pink ones if possible because it's easier to see what's inside a transparent one. For the same reason I dislike paper labels and prefer to write part number with a marker.

[AndyC_772]

I normally end up with a box per customer, or in some cases, per project. That box contains any prototypes, spare PCBs or leftover parts associated with that project, so if I need to work on a particular job, everything relevant is likely to be in that one place.

There are exceptions. For example, parts I've bought for 'one off' applications (eg. repairing or servicing something) go in a container with similar parts rather than being stored by project . I have a big bag of electrolytic caps, a box of diodes, a box of transistors, and so on.

[Berni]

Well yeah in the short term its kept in "Project boxes", usually the same Digikey/Mouser/Farnell... etc box that the order came in.

But over many years these project boxes pile up and you can no longer remember "What project did i use that chip on again?", so you have to start retiring project boxes at some point. Projects come to an end or fail sometimes so the project box is no longer useful. So once that happens the contents are either thrown away or sorted into the regular storage.

[Mechatrommer]

i lived in a poor family in my childhood and i can’t make myself throw good new parts into trash...

i thought you'll buy the idea of trashing.. we have a saying meaning like.. easy (lazy) first, hard (difficult life) later and vice versa.. so i dont share your hard life since i documented my stock in ms excel since the beginning with price, source,date,avail qty,used qty etc that i deem think important for later easy and quick referencing and reordering, its been like 10years i've been doing this since my first order of ee/robotics/hobby parts. will save time on new project that needs same parts bought much earlier. And sort them asap as i receive them.. each box/drawer with category like mosfet/bjt, mcu/digital, smd resistors,opamp/analog etc...i still have 1 or 2 boxes from digikey/lcsc unsorted but i will sort them before things get messy... just because they are new fancy category like some rf/specialty bjts/mixer etc that dont have a drawer allocated yet. discipline is keyword to save from misery later.. if things really went out of hand i suggest take it slow during the weekend or comfort/free time to sort them slowly bit by bit, dont expect to tidy them all in 1 or 3 days it could take weeks or months.. unless you have mastered the art of 'working last minute' ie working at super speed hand and brain and impose super pressure on own self to get things done in minutes...and i dont keep digikey/lcsc antistatic bags i trash them, they just use too much space..and i label with just marker pen and cut tapes handwritten. If you want perfection like dust/humidity free environment bag etc, just remember it will just put you into more misery, not a problem if you are up and can push youself for the job to get required level of perfectionism... some of my parts are $5/pc so the idea of trashing is impractical, beside the mentioned 2-8 weeks ordering latency that can shorten half life period dramatically of enthusiasm to an inspired project. ymmv.

[T3sl4co1l]

I stack up the baggies in a narrow cardboard box, or drawer or whatever; or a wide one with a divider glued in.  Downside of this method is it doesn't work well when the box is under- or over-full: too loose and the baggies slump over, and can get out of order; too tight and they're harder to handle for one, but also tend to smoosh or buckle out of line.

This isn't very dense because the baggies take up a lot of space, and the tapes are often rolled up inside, taking up the full tape width rather than sitting flat.

More compact storage, you can store shorter lengths of tape, or chopping or creasing it so it lays flat, and perhaps using smaller baggies to keep it there, or small compartments (e.g. organizers) or boxes; or also notebooks with sheets full of narrow pockets like you get SMT kits in.  (Not sure where you get those aside from SMT kits though?)

Mike's tour is a good example:



Tim

[rdl]

What I have most of is Sterilite ClearView 1753 15 qt size with latches, they're good for storing all kinds of random stuff. But I use the smaller shoe box size for parts. You can find similar at most big box stores. The Sterilite ClearView ones work best for me. If you buy a case of six, they're only about $10 each including shipping, but anything you find local will be cheaper. I actually have three different brands in use, I just like the ClearView best. If you really want to go cheap, you can find shoe box size plastic boxes as low as $1.00 each, but they won't have latching lids. I think the latches are worth paying extra for, YMMV as they say.

As far as p/n per box, no I don't have enough parts to need that. Right now I'm at resistors and capacitors in one box, chips in another, and one for misc stuff.

so you put each p/n to its own box?
ps Sterilite looks attractive, are they stacking ? which model are you using? thanks!

[electrolust]

I use what are called coin envelopes for leaded passives that I keep "in stock". I've just written part values and tolerance on each envelope and keep the set in a plastic box sorted by part value. I do it like that, rather than nut and bolt style bins, for maximum space savings. And I never need to "browse" the parts, sizing them until I found the right one, like you might do for a screw. A spill would be a disaster. So the small envelopes provides the best of all worlds, for me.

For things that are more of one-offs, and for low value SMD, I toss the parts as I jokingly said earlier. Not really worth it to maintain the bookkeeping and the inventory on parts I likely will not use again. I am in the one-day delivery zone for digikey. Normally 2 days max even with the $5 cheapest shipping option. I suppose they have warehouses across the US because rarely it does take 3-5 days for some things.

Otherwise for the parts I do keep, I just highlight the digikey label for easier reading and store in a plastic box. This does take a lot of space as the packaging is excessive. But I don't want to spend undue amounts of time organizing for very rarely re-touched things.

This morning, just by random coincidence, I came across this on ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SMD-Storage-Tray-Rack-Rack-Only-Organizer-manual-pick-place-WRC-llc/184309140405

I thought it was a chinese made part, but now I see someone is 3d printing it on demand. Wow that's expensive (vs a molded part). Great idea ... I'll print this myself. Maybe fashion a metal cabinet tho.

This is perhaps nicer. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2717152

Lots of similar ideas on thingiverse.

[electrolust]

Oh and for tiny components that you end up using a very often these boxes are great: https://www.adafruit.com/product/427
They can hold a lot of small SMD parts in a very dense footprint while allowing for quick access to them. The advantage of these is that they are small enough to bring to your workbench and pick out components one by one.
For labeling all of that i also recomend getting a USB label printer and use cheep chineese knockoff label tape cartridges (~3$ per cartrige)

I bought a large set of those and ended up tossing most of it after maybe 6 months. The smaller boxes are extremely bulky (vs interior space) and difficult enough to open/close. Then you have to reach in to grab the part. For the smallest boxes, forget it. It was more frustrating that it was worth. It's better just to aggregate small stuff into a bigger box, dump them on a table, find what you want then put the rest back in. I found simple zip locks or the small paper coin envelopes to be far cheaper and generally better.

[Lukas]

Since most of the parts I work with are pretty small, I store my parts in one of these: https://www.ebay.de/itm/252799830563?ul_noapp=true With a bit of persuasion, it's possible to peel off the label from the digikey bag, cut it to size and put it on the sleeve where the cut tape goes in.

[julian1]

A4 binders with transparent compartmental sleeves,

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=a4+binder+and+sleeves&t=ffnt&iax=images&ia=images

Very quick to search, similar to a photo album.

Also smd/smt books,

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffnt&q=smd+book&iax=images&ia=images
 

[thm_w]

A4 binders with transparent compartmental sleeves,

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=a4+binder+and+sleeves&t=ffnt&iax=images&ia=images

The proper version is here: https://www.eevblog.com/product/usleeve/
Very happy with them, just don't write in permanent ink on them if you plan on moving stuff around.

[julian1]

A4 binders with transparent compartmental sleeves,

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=a4+binder+and+sleeves&t=ffnt&iax=images&ia=images

The proper version is here: https://www.eevblog.com/product/usleeve/
Very happy with them, just don't write in permanent ink on them if you plan on moving stuff around.

They look good.

But larger sleeve compartments are also good depending on part type.
 
Often you can just throw parts in their original anti-static packaging, without opening, or transferring labels to keep part/order provenance. You can still see and read the labeling through the binder sleeve.   

[John B]

I pick up long narrow boxes from the hardware store, or add dividers to larger boxes. I then cut manilla folders to make a labelled filing system. I keep everything in the original anti static bag, so I know details like models, manufacturer, packages etc. They didn't cost me either apart from some time, glue and tape, and I don't participate in wasteful practices. People's view on literal throwaway culture seems to be heavily influenced by where they live and their upbringing.

[Shock]

Small envelopes or antistatic bags are fastest and cheapest way to stow identical leftover small components worth keeping. Divide a drawer into sections and when you have spare components write or label one, throw the components in and use an old transformer or something as a paper weight to keep them tidy until the row fills up.

For larger and easier components like electrolytic capacitors it's easy to throw them into a container until hunting through them becomes too tedious. If you start to accumulate a lot of parts you can sort them into component types.

[Berni]

Also one important tip to keep in mind when making a component sorting system is to make sure it is easily expandable to more categories.

So if you use boxes to sort stuff out make sure there are a good number of empty unused boxes left over. These are reserved for when you start getting a lot of components that don't sensibly fit into any of the existing categories, or when a certain category box starts to get too full it allows you to split it off into two sub category boxes.

[Vovk_Z]

I store most of small parts I often use in a shelf at my table  (in attachment).
SMD parts (resistors, capacitors) are stored in SMD-books.
Almost all my own wired resistors are stored in two boxes.
But it is not everything I have - I have at least one larger box with large parts and so on, and a shelf with a different unsorted staff.