There are many ways of sourcing electronic components. Manufacturers recommend that you use their recommended distributors, but that’s not always possible, especially for small quantities and obsolete components.
If you work in purchasing for an electronics company you may receive a regular supply of spam emails from overseas distributors: most people are wise enough to delete these on sight. Components can be sourced on EBay. Searching eBAY for STM8S005C6T6, a popular microcontroller from STMicroelectronics, returns 20 or more suppliers, mostly in China. (more…)
Obsolete Components Industry News: page 5 of 5
The supply of electronic components often moves in a cycle of bust then boom: a period of shortage followed by a period of over-supply. The shortage can occur for many reasons: the manufacturer making a product End of Life because the margins are too small, a disaster hitting the factory, or a major international OEM deciding they need the component in large numbers. (more…)