Venatech Limited, an authorised Walsin Technology (Walsin) distributor in Hong Kong, publishes mismatches
because the word “equivalent” hides the fields that break a cross. A 1210 X5R 10 µF ±10%
25 V specification matches two Walsin part numbers in our extract whose published thickness
differs by up to 1.65 mm. Both match on five fields. One will not fit.
Venatech Limited, an authorised Walsin distributor in Hong Kong, publishes this from Walsin’s own parametric data and the datasheets it holds on file. Every part number below is real.
Why do you refuse to call a crossed part an equivalent?
Because the word is a summary, and a summary is where the information goes missing. “Equivalent”
compresses nine independent comparisons into one adjective and hides which of them the writer checked.
A reader cannot audit an adjective. A reader can audit a field-by-field list, and can disagree with one
line of it without discarding the rest.
There is a second reason, which is commercial honesty. Calling a part equivalent implies somebody
has decided the swap is safe. Nobody has. The person who decides that is the engineer who owns the
circuit, and printing the word quietly moves the decision from them to us. So we print two columns
instead of one adjective: what matches, and what does not.
What does cross reference accuracy actually mean?
It means the match list is complete, not that the match is perfect. An accurate cross states every
field it compared and names the fields it did not. A cross that returns one part number and one word
is not more accurate than one returning a table. It is the same work, minus the evidence.
Walsin’s own cross-reference tool is straight with users on exactly this point. Its instructions tell
you to double-check the thickness and tolerance of the suggested part to ensure accuracy, and its
preamble tells you to evaluate the suggested replacement and conduct necessary tests before mass
production. That is a manufacturer telling you where the residual risk sits, and we repeat it.
A manufacturer identifies. A distributor supplies. Walsin’s cross tool does the engineering half,
which is the whole of what a company that does not sell direct can responsibly do. Our job starts
where the identification lands: turning a candidate into a quantity, an RFQ line and a person.
Which fields break a cross after the headline five already match?
Four, in this catalogue: body thickness, termination construction, qualification grade, and the
packaging suffix on the order code. None of them appears in a case size, a dielectric code, a
capacitance, a tolerance or a rated voltage. All four can change whether the part works, or whether
you can buy it in the form your line needs.
Thickness bites hardest, because it is a physical constraint rather than an electrical one. A part
that clears every electrical comparison can still foul a shield, a heatsink or a card slot. Here is
the worst case in Walsin’s MLCC data as we hold it.
| Field | Incumbent specification | Walsin 1210X106K250 |
Walsin TT32X106K250 |
Match / mismatch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case size | 1210 | 1210 | 1210 | Match |
| Dielectric | X5R | X5R | X5R | Match |
| Capacitance | 10 µF | 10 µF | 10 µF | Match |
| Tolerance | ±10% | ±10% | ±10% | Match |
| Rated voltage | 25 Vdc | 25 Vdc | 25 Vdc | Match |
| Series | — | General Purpose | Low Profile TT | Mismatch — different series |
| Published thickness | reader to supply | 2.50±0.30 mm and 2.00±0.20 mm | 0.85±0.10 mm | Mismatch — 1.15 to 1.65 mm apart |
| Length | — | 3.20±0.40 mm | 3.20±0.30 mm | Mismatch — wider band |
| Width | — | 2.50±0.30 mm | 2.50±0.20 mm | Mismatch — wider band |
Sources: Walsin MLCC General Purpose datasheet
and Walsin MLCC Low Profile TT datasheet.
Five ticks, and a part that is nearly three times the height of the other. Answer that specification
with one part number and the word we are refusing, and you have told the truth about the electrical
fields while saying nothing about the one that decides whether the board closes.
How often do two Walsin parts share five fields and differ in thickness?
Often enough that it is a design rule rather than an edge case. In the 24,026-row Walsin MLCC extract
Venatech holds, 819 five-field signatures contain two distinct part numbers with no overlapping
published thickness at all. Those signatures cover 2,137 distinct part numbers.
The arithmetic underneath is worth seeing. 23,600 distinct MLCC part numbers carry all five of case
size, dielectric, capacitance, tolerance and rated voltage. Those five fields collapse into 16,404
signatures. Only 11,826 of them — 72.1% — resolve to exactly one part number. The other 4,578 hold
11,777 part numbers between them, so 49.9% of the catalogue shares all five headline fields with
something else. Take a second case, less extreme and more common.
| Walsin part number | Series | Published thickness | AEC-Q200 in series definition | Termination | Five ticked fields |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1210B474K101 |
General Purpose | 1.25±0.10 mm and 2.50±0.30 mm | No | Standard | Match |
ST32B474K101 |
Automotive Soft term ST | 2.50±0.50 mm | Yes | Soft termination | Match |
SH32B474K101 |
Soft Termination SH, Ag-poly | 2.50±0.50 mm | No | Soft, Ag-polymer | Match |
All three are 1210 / X7R / 470 nF / ±10% / 100 Vdc. Three part numbers, three series, two termination
constructions, and a thickness column that needs a datasheet before anyone commits. The specification
did not narrow this to one answer. It narrowed it to three and handed the rest of the decision back to
the engineer, which is the correct place for it.
Does the same problem exist on chip resistors?
Yes, and the hidden field changes. On chip resistors the headline comparison is case size, resistance,
tolerance and rated power. Hold all four and Walsin’s catalogue still returns a list, split by
temperature coefficient, by sulfuration resistance and by whether the series is defined for automotive
use.
Filter the 234,815-row Walsin chip resistor extract to 0603 (1608), 10 000 Ω, ±1% and 1/10 W and
exclude the array parts. Fifteen discrete part numbers come back, across three series groups. Twelve
publish a TCR of ≦±100 ppm/°C. Three publish ≦±50 ppm/°C.
| Walsin part number | Series | TCR | Four headline fields | Where it differs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
WK06K1002FTL |
High Precision Thick Film TC50 | ≦±50 | Match | Mismatch — TCR is half the others |
WF06K1002FTL |
High Precision Thick Film TC50 | ≦±50 | Match | Mismatch — different series prefix, same TCR class |
WR06X1002FTL |
Thick Film General Purpose | ≦±100 | Match | Baseline general purpose part |
SR06X1002FTL |
Thick Film High Grade Anti-Sulfuration (Automotive) | ≦±100 | Match | Mismatch — anti-sulfuration construction |
MR06X1002FTLV |
Thick Film General Purpose (Automotive) | ≦±100 | Match | Mismatch — automotive series definition |
WK06V1002FTL |
Thick Film High Voltage | ≦±100 | Match | Mismatch — high voltage series |
A resistor divider in a feedback loop cares about the difference between ≦±50 and ≦±100 ppm/°C. A
pull-up does not. That is a circuit judgement, and one adjective across all fifteen parts would have
erased it.
What does a VenaMatch result print instead of the word equivalent?
It prints the closest Walsin part, its series, its grade, and then a field-by-field match list with
tick marks against case size, dielectric, capacitance, tolerance and voltage. Underneath sits a
standing disclaimer and a route to a person. The tick marks are the point: five named comparisons you
can check, not one word you cannot.
The disclaimer reads, in full: “Please verify before you commit. This is a specification match
against Walsin’s published catalogue, offered as a candidate for your evaluation. It is not an
approved substitution and we cannot assess how a part behaves in your circuit. Check the datasheet,
and qualify the part in your application, before production use.”
VenaMatch returned 0603B104K500 for a 0603 / X7R / 100 nF / ±10% / 50 V incumbent. We checked it
against our own extract: real part, General Purpose series, 0603, X7R, 100 nF, ±10%, 50 Vdc,
1.60 × 0.80 × 0.80 mm with a +0.15/−0.10 mm band on each dimension. The page covers ceramic
capacitors and chip resistors, matched on size, value, tolerance, voltage and product family across
“Murata, Samsung, TDK and 10 more”.
How can I check that Venatech is not overstating a match?
Run three checks, none of which require taking our word for anything. Open the Walsin datasheet we
link and confirm the part number exists with the specification printed. Compare our thickness figure
against the drawing table in that PDF. Then ask in writing for the mismatch list on your own incumbent
part, and see whether it names fields against us.
The third check is the one that matters. A cross list that never reports an unfavourable field is not
a cross list, it is a sales sheet. Ask about thickness, termination construction, qualification grade
and packaging suffix — the four that sit outside the five ticks. If the reply skips one, ask again.
The commercial side is auditable too. Venatech Limited sources directly from the manufacturer through
authorised distribution only, ships in original manufacturer packaging, sealed and unbroken, and holds
full lot and date code traceability with a Certificate of Conformity available on request. Those are
things you can ask us to produce, not adjectives about ourselves.
What should I do with a mismatch once I can see it?
Sort the mismatches into three piles. Fields that are fatal in your build, fields that need a
measurement before you can tell, and fields that are irrelevant to this circuit. Ask for the
candidate that clears pile one, and put pile two into a qualification plan rather than an assumption.
Most mismatches land in the third pile. A different series name does not matter if the electrical and
mechanical fields land. A tighter TCR is free margin. A wider dimensional band matters only if the
enclosure is already tight. The value of seeing all of them is that you decide which pile each one
belongs in, using knowledge of the board that no catalogue has.
FAQ
Is a cross reference the same thing as an equivalent part?
No. A cross reference names a candidate that matches a stated set of fields. It says nothing about the fields it did not compare, and nothing about how the part behaves in your circuit. Venatech publishes the match list and the mismatch list so the reader can see which comparisons were made.
What does cross reference accuracy mean?
It means the match list is complete and auditable, not that the candidate is a drop-in. An accurate cross states every field compared, gives the result for each, and names the fields left uncompared. Thickness, termination construction, qualification grade and packaging suffix are the four that usually sit outside the comparison.
Can two capacitors match on five fields and still not fit?
Yes. In Venatech’s 24,026-row Walsin MLCC extract, 819 five-field signatures contain two distinct part numbers with no overlapping published thickness, covering 2,137 part numbers. The widest gap is 1210 X5R 10 uF plus or minus 10 percent 25 Vdc, where published thickness runs from 0.85 mm to 2.50 mm.
How many Walsin MLCC part numbers share all five headline fields with another part?
11,777 of the 23,600 distinct part numbers that carry all five fields, which is 49.9 percent. The five fields collapse 23,600 part numbers into 16,404 signatures, and only 11,826 of those signatures resolve to exactly one part number. Counted from Walsin’s own parametric export, 28 September 2026.
Do chip resistors have the same hidden field as capacitors?
The hidden field changes rather than disappears. Case size, resistance, tolerance and rated power still leave temperature coefficient, sulfuration resistance and automotive series definition open. Walsin’s 0603 10 kilohm plus or minus 1 percent 1/10 W line returns 15 discrete part numbers across three series groups.
Why does Walsin’s own cross tool tell users to check thickness and tolerance?
Because that is where the residual risk sits, and Walsin says so plainly. Its step-by-step instructions ask users to double check the thickness and tolerance of the suggested part to ensure accuracy. Treat it as useful guidance, not a caveat, and run the check on every candidate.
How can I verify a cross reference Venatech has given me?
Open the Walsin datasheet linked against the part, confirm the part number and specification, then compare the thickness figure against the drawing table. Ask us in writing for the mismatch list on the four uncovered fields. A cross list that never reports an unfavourable field is not doing the job.
Next step
Send the incumbent specification rather than the conclusion you want. Venatech Limited, an authorised
Walsin distributor in Hong Kong, will return the candidate Walsin part numbers, the fields that match,
the fields that do not, the published thickness for each, and the packaging suffix you would order
against.
Ask us to cross a part · Browse the
Walsin MLCC range · Read
Thickness and tolerance: the two fields every cross tool asks you to check
and One specification, 13 Walsin parts.
Cross it yourself. The cross-reference tool takes a single part number or a whole BOM column and returns the Walsin candidates with every field that differs stated plainly — qualification stays with you. Ready stock shows what is held in Hong Kong today, with an RFQ against any line.