Why can't I order FPGAs from Mouser to Sweden? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: shadewind
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2011, 01:20:56 pm
content: I was looking a around on mouser.com for ordering some stuff. I noticed that not all items can be shipped over to Sweden where I live such as soldering flux (understandable since it might be flammable and whatnot), mains powered devices and things like that. But then I also noticed that I cannot order FPGA chips!Every FPGA device has a little  icon on its table row. When looking at the product page, it says "This product may require a licence to export from the United States".What kind of idiocy is this?

author: the_raptor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2011, 01:34:37 pm
content: The US has export restrictions* to stop Teh Turrists!!1111 from building baby seeking anti-patriot croooz missiles.Now excuse me while I get back to building my autonomous quad-rotor using low tech uC's.* Most famously there was talk about this meaning it was illegal to ship Sony PS2's from the US. Also encryption software was once considered a "munition" and fell under these restrictions until it was pointed out that significant development and research on them was happening outside the US.

author: tinhead
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2011, 02:04:46 pm
content: Quote from: shadewind on March 11, 2011, 01:20:56 pmthis didn't means you will not get them, it is common for all US products.In case your project is on the "export restriction" list, try another distributoror a simple trick (depeds of course on volume/cost)Rent a P.O. box in NA for few bucks, send it over thereand forward to your country, all you need is e.g. a ups customer number.Quote from: shadewind on March 11, 2011, 01:20:56 pmUnited States Bushdiocy, some ppl over there already on "idiocracy" level.

author: shadewind
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2011, 02:38:51 pm
content: Well of course I can order from another distributor (i.e. Farnell or RS) so I don't really care... but it simply makes no sense.And export restrictions on cryptography... it's not like there are any crytographic methods in use where the mathematics aren't widely known to everybody (who would ever use a crypto that cannot be mathematically demonstrated to be scure?). Has the legislators making these laws never heard of theinternet?

author: tweek
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2011, 04:59:12 pm
content: Quote from: shadewind on March 11, 2011, 02:38:51 pmHave our legislators ever heard of the Internet? You should listen to this and make your own decisionThe late Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK):

author: the_raptor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2011, 05:24:02 pm
content: Quote from: shadewind on March 11, 2011, 02:38:51 pmThat was why the restrictions on crypto got removed late in Clinton's era. There was a geek famous shirt with some crypto code and a notice saying "according to US code blah blah this shirt is a restricted munition".

author: tweek
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2011, 05:47:40 pm
content: Quote from: the_raptor on March 11, 2011, 05:24:02 pmThere are still restrictions in place on crypto here in the US. That is why you will still see notices about export on anything that contains any useful level of crypto capability. Most consumers don't even pay attention to the stuff though because the existing restrictions are largely irrelevant to them.http://www.bis.doc.gov/encryption/default.htmLooks like a ton of fun. Glad I don't have to ship stuff. I used to work for a reasonably-sized multi-national corporation where we shipped IT gear sometimes, and the paperwork was not fun for the folks who had to do it.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2011, 06:01:34 pm
content: Mouser is almost famous for such things. I remember they had a plug the size of maybe 10 mm x 10 mm x 20 mm and a total weight of maybe 50 g marked as "BIG", not to be shipped to the EU.It is probably the intern adding the marks to products.It could be that they only got a distribution agreement for the US. E.g. they won't ship several brands of measurement equipment to the EU.

author: shadewind
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2011, 07:02:35 pm
content: Quote from: BoredAtWork on March 11, 2011, 06:01:34 pmI thought about about distribution agreements too but then why would it say that a license required?

author: glossywhite
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2011, 10:49:39 am
content: It's a crazy world. Everything is supressed through sheer paranoia.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2011, 10:57:30 am
content: Best bet is to talk to a distributor in your country, and hope they are amenable to supplying the quantities you're after.Quite apart from all the export control BS, you often find pricing can be way lower than general distributors once you get over prototyping quantities- FPGAs in particular seem to have this wierd system called 'supported pricing', which AFAICS appears to be a process whereby you submit your project details, and the manufacturer approves the distributor to sell much cheaper (can be 50% off digikey/Mouser prices).I'm sure someone here knows what this is all about....

author: shadewind
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2011, 01:13:19 pm
content: I just wanted to let people know that there is actually nothing stopping me from ordering FPGAs from Mouser, it was me misunderstanding what the icon meant. A Mouser representative contacted me after seeing this thread and this is what she wrote:Quote