Free samples

[GuitarLord5000]

I dunno gez.  Seems like you're saying that its only right to sample from these companies if you are part of some huge company (microsoft anyone?) that intends to spend millions on part sales.  It really seems to me like these sample programs are intended to draw smaller businesses and individual sales.  Large companies tend to get the cheapest parts that will make their product function, and care not about component quality.  The need to sample products for them is not really necessary in most cases.  Smaller businesses and individuals tend to care more about quality of products and are willing to spend a bit more for the "perfect" IC or cap or resistor or whatever.  I just dont see the justification in the whole "they can because they have" mojo that Big Industry has put on the mindset of people.

[javacody]

Fair enough.  

[smoguzbenjamin]

Let’s just agree to disagree and get back to finding some uses for all your booty!

Ghehe I like that... Nice call gez

[mikeb]

I like the way gez put things ..... in many, many countries in the world people are too busy with keeping alive that they don't have time or money to even consider having one hobby, let alone more than one. Maybe our Western countries suck in some ways, but in general we are very lucky, very fortunate to have the opportunities we do for self-entertainment and self-amusement. So when people seem to be getting frustrated that their 'free sample' orders have been cancelled I can't help but chuckle (evilly) at the irony!

"Large companies tend to get the cheapest parts that will make their product function, and care not about component quality."

Sampling would be done (for the most part) not necessarily to determine quality, but rather to plug the thing into a design that has been done to see if it 'works as advertised'. Will it fit the PCB using the footprint the company has specified? Will clearances between the component and other parts and physical mountings be ok? When it is fed with X, will it output Y as the spec sheet says it will? I know for one embedded application I was working on the software for the comms chip couldn't source quite as much current as the spec suggested, which meant there was all sorts of drop outs and errors. The PCB had to be redesigned to accomodate a different chip, the cost per unit was increased .... it cost a lot of money, merely because it was assumed the IC would work 'as advertised' - and it didn't.

Mike

[Hal]

strung out - most semi manufactures and distributors have this warning.  They simply don't want the liability, it has nothing to do with these chips being old, although they might be.  I think it was either mouser or some other dist.  that had a warning that said "none of out products are to be used in any critical application, including, but not limited to, life support, air traffic control, or weapons guiadance systems."  The last one kinda made me laugh.  DIY missile guidance, from mouser...

[strungout]

Hal - LOL yeah I remember reading sum like that To bad, but grandma's gonna have to go the hospital to get that new chip in her pace maker...  :roll:


For those who are interested, my shipment from Microchip just got here (Quebec, Canada) by FedEx, no taxes to pay, custom duty or anything. I'm glad about the chips, but DAMM that little box is cool  :lol:

[smoguzbenjamin]

What's the link
Box? is it aluminium and suitable for an effect?

[Hal]

whatd u get from them?

[Zero the hero]

Today I received my samples from Microchip, there were no taxes duty and no shipment payment for me, too (I live in Italy).
Sorry smoguz, Microchip box is not big enough for containing an effect... well, maybe just a mosboost...
Today I received many samples from texas instruments too!
People, is it Xmas?!?!?!

[bobbletrox]

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Not far 'till Brisbane.  Come in spinner!  

[Xlrator]

I ordered some caps from Kemet.com and the guy called me back saying they will be in at the end of this month. He told me he will call before coming out to my place to drop them off!!! The rep's office is only 7 miles from here.

How about that kind of customer service? A+

[strungout]

Yeah, basically the boox is good to hold a bunch of IC's and whatnot in it Solid Plastic case, foam on the bottom and top, hmmm! Now that's good storin'

I had ordered some MCP609, MCP617, MCP6S22 (PGA - not sure how to do the Programming part of it...), and some Digital Pots.

Ciao.

[spongebob]

I ordered some caps from Kemet.com and the guy called me back saying they will be in at the end of this month. He told me he will call before coming out to my place to drop them off!!! The rep's office is only 7 miles from here.

How about that kind of customer service? A+

Did he realize that you are a DIYer? I'm not sure if I would feel comfortable if there was a TI salesman knocking at my door and handing over some opamps. I'd rather talk to a Jehova's Witness!

Will you show him your "work"? :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[RDV]

A company like TI can afford to send a few chips to DIYers. For all they know, today's DIY guy may someday become tomorrow's Jim Dunlap with an order in the millions. If someones already pointed out this ridiculously simple scenerio, then pardon me.

Regards

RDV

[Hal]

ahhh i couldn't find any op-amps at microchip's web site...but i guess you did :-D.  Tell me if they're any good

[zener]

Got 30 opamps from TI in 5 days . Wishing they got more big clients out of there generousity :wink: .

By the way, I don't really want to do this and I won't recommend either, I just want to know if they would give free samples the second time around?

[Zero the hero]

ahhh i couldn't find any op-amps at microchip's web site...but i guess you did :-D.  Tell me if they're any good

http://www.microchip.com/1010/pline/analog/anicateg/linear/Linear/index.htm

and

http://www.microchip.com/1010/pline/analog/anicateg/linear/opamps/index.htm

they don't produce TL0x2 or 4558, but I'm considering to order some samples to try at least a couple of their op-amps.
Microchip is famous for its lucky MCU family, the PIC.
Hmmm.... they've got charge pumps too...

[thumposaurus]

I hate to drag this back from the depths but it didn't make sense to start a new topic about it.
I got a phone call from someone working for TI earlier today, he was just following up on the sample requests. Very nice guy, I told him what I was useing them for and that I was basically a student and he was all for it!  He said he's talked to quite a few people about that sort of thing. He even said if there was anything else I wanted to give a try to feel free to use the sample program again.
These were one's I had gotten back in Feb. so I wouldn't be suprised if anyone else that had ordered some around the same time would be getting a call too.
So, in conclusion TI is super cool about samples.

[Torchy]

Tried for some samples today and got the message "you have exceeded the limit for sample requests in a 6 month period"  :cry:

I expect I'm on the list for a call  :oops:  (or a visit  :shock: )

[zener]

Yeah, TI rocks :twisted: . I think TI is in big business because they supplies chips to big electronics and mobile communication companies. That's may be the reason why they can afford to freely give samples without that much restrictions.

If I'll have a company, TI would surely be one of my supplier.