We need internal part numbers for every single part of our satellite. Part numbers are an industry standard for accurate, consistent, unambiguous parts and assembly identification. A quick Google search will give you more info on part numbers and their importance.
This page is used to explain the formatting of part numbers for FINCH. This page can be used when generating a part number or to learn more.
All part numbers for Finch consist of 8 characters, hyphenated as shown below. Please consider each character as a placeholder
The following lines explain w each collection of characters. Hyphenation is mandatory.
AAA- Categorizes these parts by ownership group. Each ownership group should generally represent a subsystem or a few subsystems. Each group has an owner, responsible for maintaining the part numbers up to date, ensuring no parts are left out, and keeping track of versions and deprecated versions.
XXXXX- Can be further defined by each group. It could be a dumb numbering system (one that is ascending, and contains no other information) or the group owner could choose to dedicate a specific character to a different meaning. For example, one could choose the first X digit to designate custom components (9) from COTS components (1): OMH-1XXXX, OMH-9XXXX, although that is not necessary.
The numbering of components inside each group is independent of other groups. It is possible to have two components with the same XXXXX designation, as long as they belong to different groups. Example: STR-00001 could be the spacecraft’s rails, while OMH-00001 could be a specific payload housing bracket.
(ABXX) - This is an optional lifecycle indicator, up to the discretion of the group owner. There are no guidelines for its used other than it must be as short as possible to convey its meaning, and must follow a hyphen. Examples of valid uses of this group: V1, VER1.0, REV1.0, DEPRECATED, DEP, etc
The table below shows the abbreviation used for the ownership groups:
| 3-Letter | Name | Examples/ More Info | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | Structure | Components that compose the structure of FINCH. Includes parts such as Brackets, Panels, and Rails | Mechanical Lead |
| ELE | Electrical | Electrical parts that cannot be categorized into any other assemblies. This would include cables | |
| OBC | OBC PCBA | Components that relate to the OBC PCBA | |
| OPT | Optical Components | All purely optical components (e.g. lenses, mirrors, COTS foreoptics, diffraction gratings, filters, slits, and apertures) | ‣ |
| OMH | Opto Mechanical Housing | All components that relate to the opto-mechanical housing. i.e, all payload components that are not in OPT. | ‣ |
| RFY | Radio Frequency | Components that relate to Radio Frequency | |
| BPK | Battery Pack | All components that compose the battery pack. Please format identification numbers accordingly to split between mechanical, electrical components | |
| WIR | Wires/Cable Harness | Components that relate to Wires and Cable Management | |
| ADC | ADCS | Attitude Determining Control System Components |
Please contact the Mechanical Lead if you need to add, remove, or otherwise rearrange the ownership groups.