For purchasing, NPI and EMS quoting
PDF BOM to CSV, with every quantity backed by its reference designators
Upload the PDF. BOMParser reads the BOM table across pages, expands ranges like R5-R8, and checks each line: designator count against quantity, duplicate MPNs, DNP lines, look-alike characters in part numbers. You export a CSV that is ready to import.
- qty = designator count, per line
- duplicate MPN: reported, merged view
- DNP: flagged, out of totals
- OCR look-alikes: flagged, never changed
Convert a PDF bill of materials
- 1UploadPDF, up to 30 MB
- 2Validatequantity vs designators
- 3ExportCSV, XLSX, JSON, report
No PDF at hand? Run a sample
Definition
What BOMParser is
BOMParser is a PDF bill-of-materials parser for hardware teams. It reads the BOM table out of a PDF, normalizes it to fixed CSV columns, and proves the line arithmetic: designators per line equal the quantity, duplicate manufacturer part numbers are merged or flagged, and the line count matches the document.
It is built for purchasing engineers who receive BOMs as PDFs, NPI and EMS quoting teams who load them into a quote sheet or ERP, and small electronics manufacturers who would otherwise retype them.
Steps
How it runs
Upload the PDF
Drop the file. Text PDFs and scans both go in. A scanned table is read with OCR, and look-alike characters in MPNs are flagged afterward.
Read the validation
Each row shows its quantity beside its designator count. The sidebar lists every failed check with the lines involved. Click an item to find its row.
Fix the source, then export
Correct the quantity or the list at the source, or note the mismatch. Download the normalized CSV, the generic upload CSV, an XLSX workbook, JSON or the validation report.
Checks
6 checks run on every file
01
Quantity = designators
Each line's designator list is expanded and counted. Mismatches show both numbers.
02
Ranges expanded
R5-R8, R5-8, R5 to R8, spaces, commas, semicolons and line breaks all read the same.
03
Duplicate MPN
Same MPN on two lines is reported. The merged view combines them; the printed view stays.
04
DNP excluded
DNP lines are kept with a flag and left out of part totals and the upload CSV.
05
Look-alike characters
0/O, 1/I/l and 5/S in odd positions of an MPN are flagged with the alternatives.
06
Line count
Parsed lines against the printed total, or against item numbers for gaps and repeats.
The designator check is explained, with its limits, on the reference designator count check page.
Comparison
Re-typing, generic PDF-to-Excel, and BOMParser
| What you need | Re-typing by hand | Generic PDF-to-Excel | BOMParser |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table across pages | You scroll and copy page by page. | Often one table per page, with repeated header rows left in the data. | Pages joined; repeated header rows found and skipped. |
| Designator ranges | You expand R5-R8 by hand. | Left as text. Nothing counts them. | Expanded to R5, R6, R7, R8 and counted. |
| Quantity proof | Only if you count every line. | None. | Quantity compared with the designator count on every line that lists designators. |
| Duplicate MPN | Easy to miss across pages. | None. | Reported with line numbers. Merged view sums quantity and joins designators. |
| DNP lines | Remembered, or not. | DNP rows stay in the totals. | Flagged, kept in the file, left out of part totals. |
| OCR look-alikes | Typos go in unnoticed. | Silent. | 0/O, 1/I/l, 5/S in odd places flagged with alternatives. Never changed. |
| Output | Your own sheet. | A sheet shaped like the PDF. | Fixed-column CSV, generic upload CSV, XLSX, JSON, validation report. |
"Generic PDF-to-Excel" means tools that copy table cells as printed and know nothing about BOMs. Individual products differ.
FAQ
Questions about PDF BOM conversion
What does the quantity check prove?
For each line that lists reference designators, BOMParser expands the list and compares its length with the quantity. R1, R2, R5-R8 is six designators, so the quantity must be 6.
A match means the quantity and the list agree with each other. It does not prove the list is right for your schematic: two wrong numbers can still match.
Which PDFs work?
PDFs that hold the BOM as a table with headers such as Qty, Reference and Part Number: EDA tool exports, spreadsheets printed to PDF, customer BOMs, and scans of those.
If the PDF has no table that looks like a BOM, you get an error that says so. You do not get a guessed result.
What does the free allowance include?
1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. The allowance is counted per device by the server.
Every export is available inside the allowance: normalized CSV, upload CSV, XLSX, JSON and the validation report.
How are duplicate manufacturer part numbers handled?
Populated lines that share an MPN (case and spaces ignored) are reported with their line numbers and quantities.
The merged view sums the quantities and joins the designators for those lines. The as-printed view is never altered. DNP lines are not merged.
What happens to do-not-populate lines?
A DNP column, or wording such as DNP, do not populate or not fitted, marks the line. It stays in the CSV with dnp = Y, is left out of the part totals, and is left out of the upload CSV.
Does it correct part numbers it thinks are wrong?
No. Look-alike characters (0 and O, 1 and I and l, 5 and S) in unusual positions are flagged with the alternatives. The CSV carries exactly what the PDF contained.
Some real part numbers contain those characters. The flag is a prompt to look, not a verdict.
What columns does the CSV have?
line, qty, ref_des, part_number, manufacturer, mpn, description, footprint, dnp, notes, in that order. The designators for a line are expanded and comma-separated inside one quoted cell.
Definitions and a downloadable template are on the BOM template page.
Can I load the upload CSV into a distributor's BOM tool?
The upload CSV has four columns: qty, mpn, manufacturer, ref_des. It is a generic layout, not any distributor's own template. Most BOM tools let you map columns on import; check yours before relying on it.
What if the line count differs from the document?
BOMParser compares the parsed line count with the line total printed in the document. When the document prints none, it checks the item numbers for gaps and repeats. A mismatch means rows may have been dropped or merged while reading; compare with the PDF before you import.
Are my files kept?
Files are processed in memory and deleted after conversion. Pages that need a second look may be sent to Google's Gemini API, where data can be retained for up to 55 days under Google's terms. Uploads are not used for training.
Details are on the privacy page.
Do I need an account?
No, on any plan. The free allowance is counted per device. A paid plan is a monthly subscription that sends you a page code by email; you enter it once and it stays in your browser. The pricing page has the limits.
Start with the free allowance
Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. For more files per month or longer PDFs, see the plans.