If you don’t know it, read below how to obtain free chips.

Many semiconductor companies offer free sample chips or other electronics products that they produce and send them to your home for free (without even post fees). This is a marketing technique. When someone orders some sample chips from them and designs his circuit with it, then in the commercial product they will use their chip again. Having this in mind they know that at the end they are well-off. Bellow is a list of companies that send free samples chips with online order:


Texas Instruments -> http://www.ti.com/

Maxim - Dallas Semiconductors -> http://www.maxim-ic.com/

Microchip -> http://www.microchip.com/

Sensirion -> http://www.sensirion.com/ (temperature & humidity sensor)

ATMEL -> http://www.atmel.com/

Fairchild -> http://www.fairchildsemi.com/

Ramtron -> http://www.ramtron.com/

Analog Devices -> http://www.analogdevices.com/

Bourns -> http://www.bourns.com/

National Semiconductor -> http://www.national.com/

Xicor -> http://www.xicor.com/

Clare -> http://www.clare.com

RF Microwaves -> http://www.rfmd.com

FTD -> http://www.FTDIchip.com (USB Chips)

Allegro -> http://www.allegromicro.com

VLSI Solution -> http://www.vlsi.fi (mp3 chips)

MicroSemi -> http://www.microsemi.com

Princeton -> http://www.princeton.com.tw/index-e.htm

AVX (only passive components) -> www.avxcorp.com/RequestSample.asp

California Micro Devices -> www.calmicro.com/contact_us/samples_request.html

Catalyst Semiconductor -> www.catsemi.com/iko_bld_page.cfm?id=47

Cypress semiconductor -> www.cypress.com/support/mysupport.cfm

Infenion -> http://www.infineon.com/cgi/ecrm.dll...nel_oid=-11224

Ramton -> www.ramtron.com/products/productsOptInEmail.asp

Sipex -> www.sipex.com/support/samples_literature.cfm

Steward (ferrites, inductive products etc.) -> www.steward.com/Sample_Request.asp

Supertex -> http://www.supertex.com

ALSO A BULK LIST:

http://www.reptron.com/di/Sample.asp
http://www.bivar.com/html/contact.html http://www.larsenassociates.com/cac.html
http://www.riaelectronic.com/samples.asp
http://www.sunled.com/RequestInfo/SamplesRequest.htm
http://www.aboveboardelectronics.com...tandborder.htm
http://www.mill-max.com/home/index.html
http://www.chesrep.com/page2.htm
http://www.raltron.com/products/request.asp
http://www.meritekusa.com/webpages/sample_request.htm
http://www.murata-europe.com/contact/samples.html
http://www.camcar.textron.com
http://www.clarostat.com/SampleRe.nsf/SampReq?OpenForm
http://www.molex.com
http://www.kycon.com/Form_Samples.html
http://www.azmicrotek.com/samples.html
http://www.astrorep.com/NYsubweb/orderform.htm
http://www.xicor.com/form_sample_requests.php
http://www.fmgelectronics.ie/sample.htm
http://www.electec.com/samples.html
http://www.bhelectronics.com/transfo...k-request.html
http://www.sager.com/
http://www.marshall.com/
http://www.lambind.com/request.shtml
https://www.edgecards.com/ordersamples.php
http://www.atmel.com/atmel/samples/
http://www.onsemi.com
http://www.tamweb.com/Samples,%20Literature.htm
http://www.promor.com/requesta.htm
http://www.crystal.com/design/products/samples/
http://www.burr-brown.com/
http://www.crystal.com/
http://www.philipslogic.com/order/sample/
http://www.centralsemi.com
http://www.maxim-ic.com
http://www.national.com
http://www.fairchildsemi.com/
http://www.cirrus.com/design/products/samples/
http://www.ti.com
http://www.littelfuse.com/Products/samplesElect.asp
http://www.foxonline.com/forms/noncryqu_4X.asp
http://www.fastenersforelectronics.c...s/NRelect.html
http://www.murata-europe.com/contact/samples.html
http://www.vitelelectronics.com/ulinear.htm
http://www.semtech.com/press/pa_082401.html
http://www.analog.com/productSelecti...les/index.html
http://www.okw.co.uk/catalogue/sample/sample_form.htm http://www.carlingtech.com/contact/quote.asp
http://www.mxcom.com
http://www.allegromicro.com/control/prodline.htm
http://www.smdinc.com/products/index.html
http://www.agere.com/pmap/requests.html
http://www.heyco.com/sample.htm
http://www.elantec.com/pages/samples.html
http://www.teknational.com/form_response.html
http://www.fciconnect.com/basics/bas...america_01.asp
http://www.bptfittings.com/Cust_Serv...lesForm12.html
http://www.aboveboardelectronics.com/craftechmain.htm


The first four semiconductor companies are the best in sending chip samples.
If you know more companies that offers samples post their site.


Tips:

When you visit a company’s site usually you don’t find the samples order page very easily.

You must search and navigate thought their products and find a “samples order” button.

Always put your name, address etc clearly

Not all products can be ordered as samples

:-\ Every company has its own web design (some are more complex than other) so don’t give up with the first look. Make a good navigation.

 

FTD -> http://www.FTDIchip.com

can you tell me where exactly one can order samples from this company, i turned the entire site upside-down and i couldnt find a sample order form anywhere.

 

Check this:

http://www.ftdichip.com/FTDisti.htm#dontronics

Maybe you must contact them directly via e-mail.

 

where for samples on Princeton? Thx in advance,

__________________
JFDuval
jfduval --@-- aqra.ca
http://www.aqra.ca

 

I requested a number of samples from maxim about 1.5 weeks ago ... they sent me a couple emails about my order being received and processed, but haven't seen anything in the mail yet

I dug into the their availability website, and one of the components has a lead time of 20 weeks for any quanity (they had 1, 100, 1000, 100000) listed.

I guess I wont be using it for any experiments any time soon.

 

just a note... just because they say they have "samples" does not mean that they are FREE samples... the place with the mp3 decoder chips directed me to a site where I could purchase samples.
looks like the FTDI chips are also purchased samples (directing you to dontronics)

they're just called samples because they're available in single-unit quantities, versus the hundreds or thousands of chips you'd have to buy if you bought at standard quantities.

 

were are thesamples on http://www.sensirion.com/

 

contact the regional sales office for your area, feed 'em a good story, maybe you'll get some freebies?

 

What are the elligibility for ordering samples from Microchip?
Can anyone order free samples from Microchip?

 

@mathgeek: As long as you are not making IEDs (Improvised explosive devices) or reside in a country that the US has sanctions on, you are eligible for free microchip. I am a high school student and they have been great about samples!

Oh and one that is not on that list that I know of is freescale semiconductor.

@glmcell: Thats odd... The ones I have ordered get there in a week or list. They Will send you an email if the product is backordered. Ex. I ordered a MAX232 3 months ago and it hasn't gotten here yet. I ordered the MAX3110 two weeks ago and it got here last week. The backorder email usually includes a date they will ship I believe. You might want to check for it.

 

I too requested a samples from Maxim 2 weeks ago and got an email saying that it needed business manager confirmation before shipping...and have heard nothing since.

 

Well, I am a student myself, and when you register, what email did you use? Should I use my school email (which I am reluctant to use, because I seldom check it. I would much prefer my Yahoo email, which I check 3 times a day, but Microchip stated that it does not accept generic emails like Yahoo.)

So how did you register and what email did you use?

 

microchip doesn't support generic email address like yahoo & hotmail .. i tried it yesterday .

__________________
Gods own Country
Incredible !ndia

www.flickr.com/photos/_akg/

"Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach that man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime."

 

Quite right too! - if you don't have a proper email address how can you expect to be taken seriously?.

__________________
PIC programmer software, and PIC Tutorials at:
http://www.winpicprog.co.uk

 

if i have a 'proper' email id..how can they be sure that i'm serious ?

__________________
Gods own Country
Incredible !ndia

www.flickr.com/photos/_akg/

"Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach that man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime."