A tip for PIC newbies!!

[Shax]

Thanks for the idea.
I never realized that there are companies who give away free samples!

Glad to have been of service..

What a shame there are a few whingers out there! Todays experimenters are tomorrows designers and device purchasers..

Time for me to log into my Microchip account and get some more FREEBIES!!!!

 

[dknguyen]

I feel quilty sometimes too. Especially from Maxim, because sometimes I can't get certaon ICs of theirs off Digikey or any other reasonable way. And then they send it via Fedex or something. I probably won't feel so guilty after I place a real order for several ICs that they charge $20 for.

I once asked Microchip to add on another part onto a sample order...and they ended up sending it as two separate orderes- not only that they sent the maximum amount of the added part...about $100 if I had bought it off of Digikey. I felt really guilty then. Took me a while to find someone who would use all the extras.

I just ordered two samples from TI...I need them now and was going to stick them in a large order for my next project but I got too much going on now so the 2nd is on hold and just need to finish this current project and clean it off my plate.

 

[Optikon]

I feel quilty sometimes too. Especially from Maxim, because sometimes I can't get certaon ICs of theirs off Digikey or any other reasonable way. And then they send it via Fedex or something. I probably won't feel so guilty after I place a real order for several ICs that they charge $20 for.

I once asked Microchip to add on another part onto a sample order...and they ended up sending it as two separate orderes- not only that they sent the maximum amount of the added part...about $100 if I had bought it off of Digikey. I felt really guilty then. Took me a while to find someone who would use all the extras.

I just ordered two samples from TI...I need them now and was going to stick them in a large order for my next project but I got too much going on now so the 2nd is on hold and just need to finish this current project and clean it off my plate.

I shamelessly order free parts from TI & Fairchild... but I don't feel so guilty because I design in *LOTS* of their parts to be sold in large quantities. The fact that they make excellent parts helps alot too..

 

[mabauti]

I have tried ordering from Microchip, but they don't accept generic e-mails

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I have tried ordering from Microchip, but they don't accept generic e-mails

Quite right too! - if you don't have a real email address how can you be a serious user of PIC products?.

 

[Shax]

Quite right too! - if you don't have a real email address how can you be a serious user of PIC products?.

I do have a real addy, and received 12 pics in the post today!
3 each of:

18f1330
18f1320
16f88
16f877a

I'm gonna be busy for a few weeks playing with my new toys!

 

[mvadu]

Not all the manufacturers are willing to send you free samples. e.g. National charged me $13 (almost INR.600) for 5 pieces of LM2940 . even though i registered with them through my company e-mail id only.

 

[Oznog]

Thanks for the idea.
I never realized that there are companies who give away free samples!

Well, duh! Lots of companies give out samples.

Microchip- and many others- will not give out samples to generic email accounts (hotmail, etc) and may have other limitations. IIRC Microchip at least hesitates to send samples to other countries. The primary reason is supposed to be people abusing the system by just looking up your 100 relatives and people you know with different addresses. Get 100 hotmail accounts, max out what you can sample for each address from Microchip, then Maxim, TI, etc and move on down the list. Soon you'll have thousands of dollars in "free" parts and you move them on eBay or whatever.

Microchip samples are NOT substandard parts. They may or may not be an early rev. The rev is readily apparent and will likely be disclosed on the BOM. However, IIRC they do usually provide samples of the latest silicon. As mentioned, it does not serve your company's needs to send out defective parts to people who are considering buying your product. Who would buy if the samples failed during your product evaluation?

Samples are ideally intended for actual companies, rather than hobbyists who need free products. I have had mfgs who would not provide samples without being able to find an official website for your company. However, it is often in the company's best interest to grow the product by encouraging hobbyists to play and write up projects and demo code, the part cost is not too high, and it's not worth their time and certainly not worth potentially insulting your intended customers by questioning if they are "legitimate" to their faces.

 

[Optikon]

Well, duh! Lots of companies give out samples.

Microchip- and many others- will not give out samples to generic email accounts (hotmail, etc) and may have other limitations. IIRC Microchip at least hesitates to send samples to other countries. The primary reason is supposed to be people abusing the system by just looking up your 100 relatives and people you know with different addresses. Get 100 hotmail accounts, max out what you can sample for each address from Microchip, then Maxim, TI, etc and move on down the list. Soon you'll have thousands of dollars in "free" parts and you move them on eBay or whatever.

Microchip samples are NOT substandard parts. They may or may not be an early rev. The rev is readily apparent and will likely be disclosed on the BOM. However, IIRC they do usually provide samples of the latest silicon. As mentioned, it does not serve your company's needs to send out defective parts to people who are considering buying your product. Who would buy if the samples failed during your product evaluation?

Samples are ideally intended for actual companies, rather than hobbyists who need free products. I have had mfgs who would not provide samples without being able to find an official website for your company. However, it is often in the company's best interest to grow the product by encouraging hobbyists to play and write up projects and demo code, the part cost is not too high, and it's not worth their time and certainly not worth potentially insulting your intended customers by questioning if they are "legitimate" to their faces.

As far as I know all samples that come from all reputable companies are not sub-standard and I agree why would anyone who is SANE give away(or sell for that matter!) sub-standard parts? That would be financial SUICIDE. So everyone, have no fear! Any sample you get is NOT sub-standard.

I use samples alot in my job and I use the services the way they are intended. After I have decided to use somebodys part in a design, I order samples to support a prototype build to test & evaluate the parts / design. If samples are not available, usually my distributors will foot the bill for me. If that can't happen, then I have my company buy the parts I need for the proto.

Also, in terms of actual material value (nevermind shipping costs), when someone samples MICROCHIP (sub $10 USD) kind of parts, no big deal! Some of the parts are around 1$ and then shipping is the expensive portion. But there are companies that have sampled me $100 USD A/D converters & full development kits / boards ($400 USD) for $0.00.

So it is not always just a shipping expense. Sometimes its the parts too!