Whether working in the laboratory or simply locating parts for our recommended holiday gift guide kits, eventually many of you are going to be attempting to hunt down electronic components or information on them. Unfortunately, the days when you could just run over to RadioShack and pick-up a diverse pile of electronic components are long gone. Depending on where you are located, there are still quite a few places where you can pick them up locally, but it’s sometimes a trick to find them. Even then, the assortment of components they have on-hand may be rather specialized and the odds of being able to pick-up a data sheet on the components there is likely to be pretty low. However, all is not lost. While the heyday of RadioShack components may be gone, we still have the Internet!
And far from being sad days, knowing where to look on the Internet can make obtaining component data sheets, and even ordering components, much easier than it ever was in the past. In many cases, you can obtain electronic versions of component data sheets almost instantly from manufacturers and distributors. Most manufacturers also feature extensive application libraries showing how to effectively use their products. Of course, once you have identified the components you need, you can order them over the web as well, whether it’s a handful of components for a prototype or hobby project, or thousands for a manufacturing run.
While a good chunk of this column will be reference tables to the Web sites of various vendors and a description of what they carry, we can only list a fraction of the resources available here. So, to maximize the usefulness of this column, we’re going to start out with a look at some of the general resources available to provide you with electronic information and updates on where to look for it.
A good place to start is with a visit to the web sites of some of the electronic industry trade magazines, such as our sister site, Electronic Component News, more commonly referred to as ECN. It contains an extensive list of vendors, but very limited information on some of them. The Web site for Electronic Products features stories on new electronic components and devices, as well as listings of new product introductions, buyer’s guide, and an Education Center. If you happen to be actively hunting a part, the section of most interest is the EEM. This is plugged as being ‘a comprehensive, online resource of electronics components for engineers and purchasing professionals.’ A product of AspenCore, EEM.com includes a host of interesting features. These include:
- The ability to search for over 70 million electronic components carried by more than 100 global distributors.
- The ability to access component data sheets.
- The ability to directly purchase components directly from a distributor.
- The ability to submit Requests-for-Quotes (RFQ) directly to distributors.
- The knowledge that the inventory data base is updated daily, so you won’t be ordering a component that really isn’t there!
Another excellent resource is Electronic Design News, which is almost always referred to as EDN. A member of the UBM Canon Electronics Engineering Communities, EDN has been one of the classic resources for electronics information. It features multiple focused design centers addressing different electronics issues. It also includes a Design Ideas section, technical papers and even free electronic courses. I highly recommend this site to anyone with an interest in electronics.
Another very useful tool for locating electronic components is Octopart. According to its home page, Octopart searches through thousands of manufacturers and hundreds of distributors. A powerful component of this search engine is its BOM Tool.1 This allows you to create a Bill-of-Materials (BOM) offline, to later upload and search for everything at once.
Still, there may well be a time where you know you need a part, but just have no idea what it is called. That can make it slightly … difficult to order online. So, there are still times when it is useful to have a good working relationship with an electronics distributor. Frequently, if you can describe the part you need well enough, they can identify it and even point it out in their catalog for confirmation. In many cases, if you can’t find what you are looking for, they can suggest an alternate. Sometimes they can even suggest a cheaper and easier way of doing whatever you were trying to do. Table 1 contains a list of some of the more popular electronic component distributors, with both links to their Web site, their catalog, and a good old fashioned phone number.
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Table 1: Electronic Component Distributors |
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Distributor |
Catalog |
Phone |
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(866) 433-5722 |
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1-855-326-4757 |
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480-643-2000 |
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(310) 539-5500 |
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(800) 400-7041 |
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1-800-344-4539 |
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(514) 694-7710 |
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(800) 346-6873 |
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1.800.468.7866 |
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1 800 463 9275 |
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(800) 225-5884 |
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While the resources above can handle most of your electronic component needs, occasionally you might need a somewhat more off-the-wall component. In those cases, it might be beneficial to check out the distributors listed in Table 2. These companies don’t stock to the same depth as the distributors above, but their eclectic stock, designed to cater to the Do-it-Yourselfer (DIY) and the Educator, will frequently stock a specialized item that the big names won’t bother with. If some cases, such as with SparkFun Electronics and Adafruit Industries, they frequently design and build their own boards and project kits. This may make all the difference between you having to hunt down components and develop a project from scratch and just ordering a prepared kit, or perhaps even an assembled unit.
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Table 2: Hobby/Educational Distributors |
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Distributor |
Phone |
Resources |
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Not Provided |
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888-826-5432 |
Microcontroller kits, electronic components, cables, miscellaneous hardware |
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972-205-9447 |
Miscellaneous electronic components and hardware. |
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(800) 227-7312 |
All types of educational electronic kits from robotics to solar powered boats. |
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(800) 445-0697 |
All types of assorted electronic components and equipment, from Geiger counters to impulse counters. |
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1-408-350-1484 |
Electronic components, PC components, science |
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1-800-669-5810 |
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1-650-589-2878 |
Robotics, radio control, kits, model railroading |
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1-800-831-4242 |
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303-284-0979 |
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These days, you can frequently obtain any component data sheet you need from the distributor. It is not uncommon to find a symbol next to the component in their catalog that allows you to directly download the data sheet as a PDF file. On occasion, though, you may need to go directly to the manufacturer to obtain the data sheet and any relevant application notes. Some of these vendors make it easier than others to hunt down the information you are looking for. Despite its length, Table 3, below, contains only a very partial list of electronic component manufacturers. Where I’ve been able to obtain it, column 1 includes the vendors name and a link to their Web site. Column 2 contains a link to the component data sheets. Column 3 contains a link to any relevant application notes I was able to locate. The listed name is the one under which the vendor filed the information. Finally, column 4 includes a brief description of some of the components that the vendor manufactures. Keep in mind that it is only a partial list, and a general one at that.
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Table 3: Electronic Component Manufacturers |
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Manufacturer |
Data Sheets |
Application Notes |
Products |
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Manufactures embedded and automation products |
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Ultra-low-power precision CMOS circuits and op-amps. |
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Data Converters, amplifiers, interface and isolation, etc. |
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Hand and power tools |
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Develops RF modules and sub-modules for demanding applications |
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Delivers connectivity and communication solutions |
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Manufactures 3-D depth sensors. |
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Manufactures a broad line of parts, including: Potentiometers; resistors; switches; encoders; and microelectronic modules |
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Manufactures a diverse line of electronic components, including drivers, sensors,data converters, and power management |
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Maufactures data converters and amplifiers, DSPs, interfaces, microphones, et al. |
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Embedded System Engineering |
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Memory, SOCs, Bluetooth, USB, et al. |
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Xbee/RF solutions, cellular routers and gateways, et al. |
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Development boards and kits for FPGA application |
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Manufactures custom connectors |
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Manufactures lighting ICs, logic ICs, and power control devices |
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Manufactures a range of sensor products |
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Deliver technically innovative electronic experimental solutions for a broad range of hobbyists and developers. |
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Manufactures a broad line of electro-mechanical components for human interface |
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Manufacturer of magnetic products for use in Ethernet, Token Ring, and Fibre Channel systems. |
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Manufacturer of systems for embedded computing, digital signage, network appliances, etc. |
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Distributor of commercial and home LED lighting products |
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Develops a broad range of low-power, high-performance mixed-signal semiconductor solutions |
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Manufactures diodes, solid state relays, power supplies, et al. |
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Manufactures data converters, interface components, optoelectronics, and analog devices |
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Manufactures solid state relays high speed digital opto isolators, optocouplers, Hall effect switches, et al. |
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Manufactures industrial ceramics, electronic components, liquid crystal displays, et al. |
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LEDs, LED Dispays, and opto-couplers |
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Designer and manufacturer of interconnect components and electronic hardware |
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Manufactures capacitors, relays, and related components |
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Manufactures FPGAs, power and clock devices, and development kits and boards |
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Linx products make it simple for engineers and hobbyists to integrate wireless features without the hassle and expense of engineering RF functionality from scratch. |
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Opto-couplers, wireless, server storage, fiber optics, LEDs and displays |
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Manufactures intelligent interfaces and displays. |
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Manufactures interface, power, communication, microcontrollers, et al. |
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Manufactures microcontrollers, data converters, memory, interface chips, et al. |
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Manufactures a range of machined interconnect components |
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Data acquisition/control systems and software |
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Manufactures a range of components to enable secure connections between devices |
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Manufactures components to enable Bluetooth Smart/Bluetooth low energy, ANT, and sub 1-GHz connectivity |
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Manufactures a range or resistive products, including power resistors and rheostats. |
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Open Source project to develop the OMAP™ 4 mobile software development platform |
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CMOS image sensors, discrete transistors and rectifiers, power management circuits, amplifiers, comparators, et al. |
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Power supplies, cable assemblies, fans, LED products, circuit breakers, et al. |
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Rabbit series of embedded microprocessors and accessories |
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Microcontrollers, Bluetooth, ZigBee, RF, sensors |
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Solid state pressure sensors |
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MOSFETS, optoelectronics, power modules, discrete thyristors, capacitors, resistors, sensors, et al. |
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MEMS and sensors, memories, microcontrollers, comparators, audio ICs, et al. |
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Imaging sensors, LCDs, memory, optoelectronics, power devices, RF components |
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Sharks Cove is a development board that you can use to develop hardware and drivers for Windows and Android. |
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Capacitors, inductors, temperature protection devices, sensors, flash storage, ferrites and accessories, et al. |
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Audio, data converters, interface, isolation, logic, power management, sensors, multiplexers, etal. |
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VCC |
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Trimmer capacitors |
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Soldering and desoldering tools |
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Crystals, crystal filters, LC filters and oscillators for complex Radio, RF/Microwave, GPS, Instrumentation and MIL-AERO applications |
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Internet Offload Processor, Ethernet controller chips, network modules, et al. |
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3-D Motion Tracking |
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If the above still doesn’t give you the information you need, you can always fall back on your Internet search skills. How easy or hard it is to locate a component this way depends significantly on how much information you have regarding the component. If you have the actual manufacturer’s name and the part number, it should be relatively easy. If you only have a description or general name for the part, it may be more of a challenge. However, if you apply your research skills to this problem, with the resources listed above, a little patience and effort should show a big dividend.
References
- Russell, BOM Tool Update!, Octopart. (2014). https://blog.octopart.com/archives/2014/06/bom-tool-update? (accessed August 31, 2015).
John Joyce is a laboratory informatics specialist based in Richmond, VA. He may be reached at editor@ScientificComputing.com.
