Sample Programs - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: CryptLordGR
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2010, 10:25:43 am
content: After dave’s video on free samples, also after the contest for the DMM, I wanted to share my experience on such programs because there are many problems for an EE student in a small country such as Greece to get parts. The university don’t care about the students and even if they take funds for making better our labs, the labs are in a big mess. The funds goes to the pockets of the teachers or to buy equipment for the Master/Doctor students for their own needs. As I’m in the category of the students that they don’t have enough money to spend on new parts (I’d prefer to buy some equipment to build my lab), I find my way through sample programs, disassembling old devices and not using the university sources (because it is much more trouble to have access to the labs than contacting companies for parts, believe my it is).Greece has not very stable law about imports from countries outside European Union, so this is the biggest problem not just for samples but also purchases from USA. Many packets are held in customs and they charge VERY high taxes, for my latest sample packet(8-10 ICs) from TI, I had to pay taxes of 130 Euro, this was the most that it occurred to have seen (of course I didn’t payed and didn’t receive the parts)Now for the companiesTexas Instruments -http://www.ti.com/TI has a very good online sample program you can order up to 8 different items however they cannot be from the same family of chips, the limit of each ic is different but they don’t give out more than 5 of the same ic. There is free shipping with FedEx including Greece. They may ask you some more info about your project but no big things. Other say that you can email them for more than 5 of the same ic but I didn’t so far so I don’t know if they are more curious then. Too many ic to sample but they restrict the versions of the ics. They never used any other information such as email, address.Maxim-IC -http://www.maxim-ic.com/Many categories to choose for ics, many from the Dallas that are the same company now. Up to 6 different items, each item has his own max limit. May cut your order into pieces and backorder some parts. Instant shipping with normal post (I think) which is much better for Greece because there are no checkups for small packages. Instant accept of order.Freescale -http://www.freescale.com/It hasn’t any so useful part for a student that cannot solder difficult packages but the sensors. Max different parts 3, each item has a limit of 5 items. For my case I have to pay 5 to 15 dollars to have samples parts because of the email even though it is not a common one, it is from university. Can ship with normal or priority with the same price, I heard that priority packages have higher chance to be checked for taxes. Never being in a hurry, never tried.Analog -http://www.analog.com/en/index.htmlInstant accept of my order, instant shipping, 3 days to have the parts. Must ship the order to an address of a company so I had some problems, because I didn’t put a real one, shipped with TNT from within European Union. Max different parts 4, each item has a limit of 2 items. Newsletter email every week. Very good however.Microchip -http://www.microchip.com/Can order 2 times per month, each order has a limit of 2 different parts. They may backorder one part, don’t ship you ever the other and such problems. They don’t ask anything however. Their password system have problems so everytime I need to login I have to request a new password. The good is it is home delivery.Zilog -http://www.zilog.com/I wanted to make a retro computer but they must not even read the comments that you put on the order and where are you gonna use their parts, they just accept everything. Max different parts 3, each item has a limit of 2 items. Fast delivery, very good if they read.There are also many other sample programs (National,Cirrus and others) but i'm most satisfied by theseIf others know good sample programs, share your expirience with them

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2010, 11:01:41 am
content: Quote from: CryptLordGR on November 21, 2010, 10:25:43 amI hear that often, but interestingly there is usually enough beer money to get drunk every weekend. Also, there are thousands of parts in the 10 cent range which can be used to build an endless amount of projects. It doesn't have to be the latest and greatest ICs. Or, as someone told me when I was studying decades ago "Parts you can't afford you don't need."

author: CryptLordGR
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2010, 11:16:31 am
content: I agree totally with you so i have the philosophy that i try to use each part that i can get hold of. I collect all the old devices i find on the road. And a little problem is the shipping to greece, so i usually use chinese parts from ebay.haha about the beer that's a little true, but we are no stupid like tourists

author: saturation
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2010, 11:18:59 am
content: Very good listing! You are very motivated and that's a major plus for your career.Are there places that salvage electronics? When I was like you I would find old electronics in the trash and take parts from there.A key to your education is working with as many parts as you can and understanding their parameters, and then build something to demonstrate that to good effect.Leave production and PCB design to school work.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2010, 11:21:18 am
content: Quote from: BoredAtWork on November 21, 2010, 11:01:41 amyou cant afford to buy electronic part? dont mess yourself with electronics, i'm a little luckier than OP in term of tax, U fund etc, but i will value any scrapped electronics around even in the very smelly place... if its worth salvaging it. (yea! wanna call me a nerd? go ahead!) most of the time i can find a hard to get or expensive items onboardps: sometime i feel like a homeless myself, but who cares! my need is not like what they need. and further i can appreciate/understand how the homeless felt, to get a lesson.

author: CryptLordGR
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2010, 11:48:44 am
content: Quote from: saturation on November 21, 2010, 11:18:59 amit is better to leave school totallykidding there are useful things to learn but when you focus on maths, physics and software programming it gets boringQuote from: saturation on November 21, 2010, 11:18:59 amsadly there aren't electronics recycle-garbage thing, so every time i see something i'm surprisedQuote from: shafri on November 21, 2010, 11:21:18 ami afford but want to build my lab in the meanwhile if there is something i need badly i buy it

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2010, 01:21:37 pm
content: Quote from: CryptLordGR on November 21, 2010, 11:48:44 ami started with $3 iron, some solder and some salvaged board. your own home can be a "recycle-garbage thing". you see a broken item, dont throw it away! take it apart!

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 21, 2010, 09:35:53 pm
content: When i was living in Italy I started by taking things apart, mostly televisions. To be honest though this was poor fuel for my learning as it robbed me of much time I should have spent learning and of parts I could not get hold of for love or money and I'm talking basic parts here. To get a breadboard meant spending a "huge" amount of money on a whole pack of 5, ok this was like a tenner a board but i did not want 5 of the things. now in the UK I'm in bliss, I can buy what I want and it's reasonably priced. becoming a slave to sampling programs is not a terrific idea, you need the parts you find most useful, not what they are willing to dish you out

author: House91320
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2010, 06:21:38 am
content: I started by making h bridges out of discreet transistors from tvs, all you have to too is walk around your neighborhood and look for people trowing stuff out.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 22, 2010, 07:52:38 am
content: In italy and probably greece that is very true although they have clamped down a bit, I used to know all my local "unofficial tips" these were generally little spaces of ground that could not be grown on so people just dumped their TV's and the like there, when I was in italy last week though I noticed that these have been mostly cleaned up and that recycling is taking hold as part of refuse collection (maybe the EU is useful for something after all)

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2010, 11:34:55 am
content: since the OP is here, proving he is in luxurious of online ee info, other than hardwares i mentioned earlier. and also my earlier source of knowledge during the time was the nearest electronics repair shop, i always take my chance sneaking in pretending to be a "prospective" customer and look how they do their thing, before my internet age. but beware, some materials online are just simply poison for you, so you have to be very clear on your objective and pick whats suitable.