WLCW vs WQCW: Walsin’s Two Largest Wirewound Chip Inductor Families

WLCW (791 parts) and WQCW (569 parts) are the two largest wirewound chip inductor families
from Walsin Technology (Walsin), and they share all six case sizes from 1005(0402) to
4532(1812). They are not the same range sized differently: at 2012(0805) WLCW reaches
4,700 nH against WQCW’s 1,000 nH ceiling, and at 2520(1008) WLCW reaches 15,000 nH against
WQCW’s 3,900 nH. Below those ceilings the two families publish near-identical values for the
same inductance and case size, with one unexplained exception in how they state self-resonant
frequency.

Venatech Limited, an authorised Walsin distributor in Hong Kong, holds Walsin’s full inductor
parametric export of 5,410 real parts (one QA test row, Test123999, is excluded from every
count in this post). Every part number below is real and checked against that extract.

What is the difference between WLCW and WQCW series inductors?

Both are wirewound chip inductors in the same six case sizes, with mostly identical physical
dimensions and nearly identical DC resistance, Q min and rated current at any inductance value
both series publish. The difference is range: WLCW extends further at two of the six sizes,
and the two families disagree on the stated unit of self-resonant frequency at those same two
sizes.

At four of the six sizes — 1005(0402), 1608(0603), 3225(1210) and 4532(1812) — the physical
L×W dimension is identical between the two series. At 2012(0805), WLCW actually carries two
distinct physical dimensions internally: 2.29 × 1.73 mm on 161 parts and 2.4 × 1.65 mm on 21
parts, both under the same 2012(0805) size label. WQCW uses only the 2.29 × 1.73 mm
dimension at that size.

Do WLCW and WQCW overlap on case size and inductance?

Yes, heavily, at four of the six sizes. At 1005(0402), 1608(0603), 3225(1210) and 4532(1812)
the two families publish almost the same set of inductance values — for example at
1608(0603), WLCW offers 66 distinct inductance values and WQCW 59, with 59 values common to
both.

The 1005(0402) mismatch runs the other way: WQCW’s ceiling of 120 nH is higher than WLCW’s
51 nH at the smallest shared size. So neither family is simply “the bigger one” — WLCW wins
the mid-size range and WQCW wins at the smallest size.

Where does WLCW go beyond what WQCW offers?

At 2012(0805) and 2520(1008), which is where most of the two families’ inductance headroom
sits. WLCW2520Z0J150PB is a real 15,000 nH part at 2520(1008); WQCW’s entire 2520(1008) line
tops out at 3,900 nH (WQCW2520Z0J3R9PB). If a design needs more than 3,900 nH at the
2520(1008) footprint, WQCW does not have it and WLCW does.

Do identical part-number stems match across the two series?

Mostly, with one clean exception. Strip the WLCW and WQCW prefixes from every part number
and match the remainder: 448 part-number stems exist in both series. At four of the six case
sizes — 1005(0402), 2520(1008), 3225(1210) and 4532(1812) — every matched pair agrees on
self-resonant frequency (SRF(min)) exactly. At the other two sizes — 1608(0603) and
2012(0805) — 239 of the 448 matched pairs show the WQCW figure reading exactly 1,000 times
the WLCW figure, with RDC, Q min and rated current identical on both sides.

One plausible explanation is that WLCW states SRF in GHz and WQCW in MHz at the 1608(0603)
and 2012(0805) sizes specifically, since 1000 MHz = 1 GHz. But both series agree digit-for-
digit at the other four sizes, so if that is the explanation, it applies inconsistently within
WLCW’s own range, not just between the two series.

Which series should I choose if both cover my inductance value?

Where the two families overlap, RDC, Q min, rated current and tolerance options are identical,
so the deciding factor is usually stock and lead time rather than electrical performance. Where
they do not overlap — above 1,000 nH at 2012(0805), above 3,900 nH at 2520(1008), or above
120 nH at 1005(0402) — only one family has the part, so check the range table above before you
specify a case size and inductance combination you have not confirmed exists.

For the construction difference between wirewound and multilayer inductors generally, see
multilayer vs wirewound chip inductors. For the
full series breakdown across all 47 Walsin inductor families, see
Walsin inductor series: how to tell them apart.
The full range is on the Walsin inductor range page.

The short version

WLCW and WQCW share every case size and most of their inductance range, but WLCW reaches
3.8–4.7x further at 2012(0805) and 2520(1008), while WQCW reaches further at 1005(0402). Where
they overlap, RDC, Q min and rated current match exactly. Self-resonant frequency does not
match at two of the six sizes, and the ×1,000 split is unexplained.

Send us your inductance and case-size requirement and we will tell you which family actually
carries it, with the real part number.

Already holding a part number? Paste it into the cross-reference tool — it reads the manufacturer from the number itself, returns the Walsin inductor candidates and states every field that differs rather than calling anything an alternative. Then check Hong Kong ready stock to see what is on the shelf today.

Frequently asked questions