Sources for free sample parts?

[ice595]

Where do you guys usually get free sample parts from?
I've had luck with Microchip, Texas Instruments and Maxim Integrated.
Where else do you guys suggest?

[naragon1]

Hmmm .. TI have discontinued samples, haven't they?

[rdl]

No, TI has not stopped offering samples. However, they are not as easy to get as in the past. I'd be surprised if it's not the same with most other manufacturers.

For the most part, I find it much less hassle to just buy parts. If it was for a project with commercial potential and the part(s) were expensive, it might be worth the trouble.

[MatthewEveritt]

Not sure how current this is, but it might be useful http://www.ladyada.net/library/procure/samples.html

[ice595]

Hmmm .. TI have discontinued samples, haven't they?

just ordered a few high voltage opamps samples and it was shipped the same day 

[naragon1]

Hmmm .. TI have discontinued samples, haven't they?

My bad ... it looks like they discontinued sample requests from University e-mail addresses:

[rdl]

How recent is that?
Here they recommend a Corporate or University e-mail address:

http://www.ti.com/sc/docs/sampfaq.htm

[rdl]

I guess they've been too busy rejecting requests to get around to fixing their web page.

[george graves]

Maxim tracks your email/physical address(and maybe even first and last name?) now-a-days. 

[MrSlack]

TI's web site is a broken pile of crap though. I'd rather pay for my stuff from Farnell than use TI's web site for samples.

For two months you couldn't actually remove something from your basket.

[tszaboo]

No, TI has not stopped offering samples. However, they are not as easy to get as in the past. I'd be surprised if it's not the same with most other manufacturers.

For the most part, I find it much less hassle to just buy parts. If it was for a project with commercial potential and the part(s) were expensive, it might be worth the trouble.

Preatty much. I ordered some free samples from Keystone, like battery contacts and banana jacks. I had to write about a dozen email, and they asked for "proof of project aproval" (whatever that is), . After the second email, i nearly told them to just keep it and leave me alone. They supposedly dont provide samples for prototypes, only evaluation...
It is not nice to be crushed by your own company administrative overhead and other company greed for information .

[station240]

That list on the ladyada.net site raises one question, what happened in 2013/2014 that caused a large number of companies to restrict/stop sample products ?

I did just get confirmation my component sample has shipped, after I replied with my life's story (joking).
It was one of their more expensive parts, so I did explain why I needed two of them.

The problem for me wasn't the cost of the part ~$15 each, but the $50 postage and the crappier than usual US$ to pacific peso (Australian Dollar), which makes ~$30 worth of parts into AU$110. The weeks I spent trying to find the part I needed in the first place didn't help. It's also a key part, so I needed to get hold of it.

Anyway if you have a legit reason for needing a sample, and you do intend to actually buy more of the same part, then ask. Worst they can do is say no (or bury you in requests for more info).
Shame the system got so broken as to be unusable with some companies,

[timb]

Maxim tracks your email/physical address(and maybe even first and last name?) now-a-days.

Really? In December I ordered some Samples from Maxim and they shipped to my home address, via FedEx 3-Day, straight from the factory in Asia. I also used my personal email (well, I guess it's also a business email; the domain points to my website/blog, which says I'm a consultant, so maybe they actually looked).

Never had a problem with TI either, even recently. Samples are easy to order, just go to the product page, click samples, add the appropriate part to the cart and checkout. TI has always shipped my samples via UPS (sometimes FedEx) Next Day Air.

I wish TI had a "No Rush" option for samples. I wouldn't mind Ground shipping a lot of times. Hell, half the time I feel guilty ordering samples from them because I imagine what shipping must cost. In the last year or two, I've noticed about half of the samples are coming direct from the factories in the Far East, which I guess makes 1-2-3-Day Air the only feasible option. In the past, all the samples came from Texas.

Something I've started seeing recently (particularly with things ordered through the TI Store) is that the FedEx tracking number issued is like a virtual or meta number. By that, I mean you see the package leave Taiwan, it ends up in Forth Worth or Dallas, TX then makes its way to you. But in actuality, it's two or more discrete shipments. I suspect they're shipping an entire cargo pallet full of orders from Taiwan to Texas, the pallet has a waybill number, which my (and all the orders in that container) reference or link to. It gets to Texas, where it's split up and the individual boxes are scanned into the system with their own waybill number, which again links to my tracking number. This is then picked up by FedEx makes its way through the Atlanta hub and is delivered to me.

I know FedEx has this capability and, based on the way the tracking info shows up and the labels on the box, I'm pretty sure is what TI is doing. Which is pretty slick. Must save them hundreds of thousands in shipping costs every year.

[Muxr]

I just have a shopping cart at mouser that I keep adding small quantities of interesting parts I come across in. At the end of the week if I feel like playing with those parts I just place an order.

The only time I try and order samples is when I find a part I am interested in but it's not available in small quantities. ISSI has some LED drivers I was looking at so I sent them a request for samples, haven't heard from them yet.

[tszaboo]

I just have a shopping cart at mouser that I keep adding small quantities of interesting parts I come across in. At the end of the week if I feel like playing with those parts I just place an order.

The only time I try and order samples is when I find a part I am interested in but it's not available in small quantities. ISSI has some LED drivers I was looking at so I sent them a request for samples, haven't heard from them yet.

Now, imagine, that you need manager aproval, enter the order into the ERP system, project assignment, incoming delivery goods receipt sheet, note for accounting, warehouse location assignment for that 2 IC.
And I'm not even kidding.

[MrSlack]

Actually that reminds me. First EE job I had was with a big defence company. After coming from university which had no stock this was marvellous.

Before: err we don't have any CD4011 or equivalent in the stock room. We've got one 4069 with three missing pins and a drunk professor who sleeps on the floor. You'll have to bodge something or wait until April. Either that or try calling the vendor and skank some. Oh and don't mention us or you'll get blocked straight away because all our stock came from skanking it.

After: err do you want TI, NXP, Ceramic/DIP, what temperature rating do you need, 4011, 4011B, 74HC4011. We have 700 on hand. Take some home to play with too!

And that's where your defence budget and surplus stocks come from :-)

[nidlaX]

TE Connectivity will gladly send you a small sample of inexpensive parts for free. For enclosures, OKW and Serpac very generously sent me samples of some of their top quality products for free. Be polite and give them a call.

[cdev]

You can buy a cheap hot air rework station and use it to remove parts from PCBs. almost always in still working condition.

Lists circulate that are used to identify SMT devices like ICs by the hopefully unique combination of their package type and the two or three character codes on them.


Edit: I don't 'hoard parts' - I don't desolder a part from a board from my junked box unless I need it, don't have one elsewhere, and especially, don't want to wait for the mail.

It's a useful option to have, though.

[wraper]

You can buy a cheap hot air rework station and use it to remove parts from PCBs. almost always in still working condition.

Lists circulate that are used to identify SMT devices like ICs by the hopefully unique combination of their package type and the two or three character codes on them.

That is basically worthless effort. It works if you repair, for example, PC motherboards. Then if you keep a handful of scrapped mobos, very often you can remove something useful for the repair of similar stuff. However if you tend to build something, and especcially design it from scratch so you can select the best parts which fit you the best, it not worth to bother with this. Moreover, removing the parts make them 10x harder to find afterwards rather just unsolder when you need some particular part. Salvaging parts worked in the past when there was no other choice and parts were way less specialized. Nowadays when you can order over internet almost anything, usually for a reasonable price, there is just no point hoarding old stuff and converting your lab into a scrapyard.

[MrSlack]

This. I used to hoard parts. Had nearly 100kg of stuff floaing around in boxes. Since Farnell and RS are free post and no min order in the UK at least, there's no point now. Chucked it all. Now I have 18 IKEA Glis boxes for everything and all parts are new.

[Srbel]

Yeah... In the UK. But for Serbia, it is probably at least a bullseye for shipping.

[MrSlack]

Ah yeah good point. I have a colleague who lives in the Ukraine who has the same problem. However he lives off stashes of parts from the soviet and eastern bloc Tesla/VEB companies era floating around. Not sure if that extends quite as south as Serbia.

[ice595]

Most of the parts available for sample are usually breadboard un-friendly anyways. I guess that kinda make sense since they're intended for modern designs where most IC are smd. Which raises an off-topic question, how do professional EE designers make proof of concepts way before the prototype stage. Do they spin a quick and dirty PCB or do they still use breadboards/perfboards?

[cdev]

My guess is old school guys whack it out using "manhattan" or "dead bug" style construction methods.

But I suspect given the fact that such machines are increasingly available, if they are working in an environment where prototyping is a common thing they probably have some professional way of making a prototype quickly on site - say a CNC-like routing machine that can mechanically "etch" and drill the holes in a board in a few minutes right before their eyes.  Then they use little pop in rivet like things to make the vias conduct.

"Wham".

[jwm_]

TI seems to have some sort of rate limiting, I have not quite figured it out, but if I wait several months between orders I can get samples. However TI has reasonable prices and cheap dev boards so I generally buy outright now that i am better funded unless it is something really unusual I want to try out and may not use. Linear is nice too, which is good because their chips are expensive but they have a lot of really cool stuff that might be exactly what you want. I ha e never had anything denied by them but try not to abuse it. If it's already written into my schematic I have no right sampling.

Coilcraft was great about sampling, really great. So great they contacted me to chat about what projects I was working on. Unfortunately the project had been canceled so I couldn't really say much and felt bad. I pictured a Glen Gary Glen Ross coil salesman hoping I'd be a big score. They were friendly and genuinely interested, if it is representative of their support then I can say they are great for your coil needs.

Onsemi is also great, they have a flat fee and will send you a bunch (like 25 for common ones) of several different chips.