ELEC 432

Obtaining Non-stock Parts

The stock parts are expected to satisfy only basic requirements (e.g. resistors and bypass capacitors) and the expected needs of the design and prototyping exercise in Exercise 6. Most of the parts for your major design project will not be in stock and you will need to order them or acquire them locally.

Ordering Parts

To order parts from a distributor or manufacturer, follow the following procedure:
  1. Create a list of the required parts. For each item include the following information:

    Here is an example of such a list:
    Vendor Manufacturer Part No. Description Cat. No. Quan. Price Total
    Digi-KeyTISN7AC74DDual Flip-flop296-1063-5-ND10.434.30
    KemetT491B226M016AS22uf Tantalum 16V SMD399-3099-1-ND10.603.00
    Mini-CircuitsSBL-1Mixer14.334.33
    Total11.63

  2. Bring your list to the instructor for approval. He will do this by signing it, so it should be a paper copy.
  3. Take your approved list to Mr. Dye and tell him that it is for 432. If he receives it by 3:00 PM, it will go out the same day. Parts will be shipped via second-day delivery, so plan your schedule accordingly.

If possible, parts should be ordered from Allied, Digi-Key, or Mouser. In general, Digi-Key has the best selection, but Mouser and Allied stock a number of parts that Digi-Key doesn't. Also, prices for the same part can vary significantly among the different distributors, so it pays to shop around.

For RF components such as mixers, amplifiers, transformers, etc., Mini-Circuits is the best place to start. They have an enormous selection and are willing to sell in small quantities. If you use any other vendor, be sure to provide contact information (phone number or web address).

Getting Parts Locally

If you need a part right away and it's not too exotic, you can try to get it locally. There are a few local dealers (e.g. EPO, Ace, Fry's) that carry basic components and will sell them to individuals. The procedure is:
  1. Find your part.
  2. Buy it. Save your receipt.
  3. Take the receipt to the instructor for approval. (There's a chance that this step will fail, so it would be wise to seek approval beforehand.)
  4. Take the approved receipt to Mr. Dye.
  5. In the fullness of time you will be reimbursed.

One important caveat. You will not be reimbursed for sales tax. You can get Rice's tax exemption number from Mr. Dye. Most vendors will eventually accept this and not charge sales tax.