(OT, probably) semiconductor components vendors

I decided to actually build something for a computer-related project;
first time for some years. I went to my usual supply-everything place,
maplin, only to find their range of semiconductors seems to have
diminished hugely since I last looked - they seem to be going the way of
Tandy.

But OTOH neither do CPC nor RS seem to keep what used to be commonplace
ICs (I'm looking specifically for a waveform generator, 566 or 8038 sort
of thing), and both seem to have huge swathes of items marked discontinued.

So has the world gone completely digital? And where's the place of
preference these days for buying odd bits for home projects?

This is /so/ frustrating :-(

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Please use the corrected version of the address below for replies.
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Mike Scott Harlow Essex England.(unet -a-t- scottsonline.org.uk)

After replacing Mike Scott with a small shell script on Tuesday 18 Jul
2006 14:11, the following appeared on stdout:

But OTOH neither do CPC nor RS seem to keep what used to be
commonplace ICs (I'm looking specifically for a waveform generator,
566 or 8038 sort of thing), and both seem to have huge swathes of
items marked discontinued.

Farnell have the 8038, Mike. SKU 1209617. CPC and Farnell regularly
differ in their stock. Another option is Dial Electronics, who stock
most everything including obscure and obsolete stuff *if* you can get
the swine to reply to e-mails.

Minor detail with Farnell: Minimum order £20.
--
Chronos

Chronos wrote:
After replacing Mike Scott with a small shell script on Tuesday 18 Jul
2006 14:11, the following appeared on stdout:

But OTOH neither do CPC nor RS seem to keep what used to be
commonplace ICs (I'm looking specifically for a waveform generator,
566 or 8038 sort of thing), and both seem to have huge swathes of
items marked discontinued.

Farnell have the 8038, Mike. SKU 1209617. CPC and Farnell regularly
differ in their stock. Another option is Dial Electronics, who stock
most everything including obscure and obsolete stuff *if* you can get
the swine to reply to e-mails.

Minor detail with Farnell: Minimum order £20.

Blimey,

I took an interest in this as my O'level electronics project in 1983
centered around an 8038. Seems to be a very obsolete part thesedays - I
think I still have most of the function generator I made with it
somewhere, but I recall nicking some of the knobs and switches for
something else!

After replacing Chronos with a small shell script on Tuesday 18 Jul 2006
15:03, the following appeared on stdout:

Farnell have the 8038,

OTOH, forget that. A little look in my tech docs shows the MAX038 to be
a functional equivalent. Maxim send samples. Need I say more? ;-)

http://www.maxim-ic.com/quick_view2.cfm/qv_pk/1257
--
Chronos

Mike Scott wrote:

ICs (I'm looking specifically for a waveform generator, 566 or 8038 sort
of thing), and both seem to have huge swathes of items marked discontinued.

A lot of European distributors will be discontinuing RoHS non-compliant
parts, and for older parts manufacturers aren't making them compliant.
Digi-Key might be a good bet for non-compliant parts (just don't sell
your projects on!)

Cheers

mark-r

--
"Let's meet the panel. You couldn't ask for four finer comedians -
so that answers your next question..."
-- Humphrey Lyttleton

Mark Robinson wrote:

Mike Scott wrote:
ICs (I'm looking specifically for a waveform generator, 566 or 8038 sort
of thing), and both seem to have huge swathes of items marked discontinued.

A lot of European distributors will be discontinuing RoHS non-compliant
parts, and for older parts manufacturers aren't making them compliant.
Digi-Key might be a good bet for non-compliant parts (just don't sell
your projects on!)

Cheers

mark-r

Thanks everyone.

Hadn't realised what RoHS would mean in practice: I suppose I vaguely
thought it just meant lead-free solder and no cadmium plating :-)

Looks like yet more homework......

--
Please use the corrected version of the address below for replies.
Replies to the header address will be junked, as will mail from
various domains listed at www.scottsonline.org.uk
Mike Scott Harlow Essex England.(unet -a-t- scottsonline.org.uk)

Chronos wrote:
After replacing Chronos with a small shell script on Tuesday 18 Jul 2006
15:03, the following appeared on stdout:

Farnell have the 8038,

OTOH, forget that. A little look in my tech docs shows the MAX038 to be
a functional equivalent. Maxim send samples. Need I say more? ;-)

http://www.maxim-ic.com/quick_view2.cfm/qv_pk/1257

According to Maxim that part was fabbed for them and is no longer in
production.

After replacing linker3000 with a small shell script on Sunday 23 Jul
2006 16:05, the following appeared on stdout:

According to Maxim that part was fabbed for them and is no longer in
production.

I see what the OP means. It is getting increasingly difficult to make
anything unless you're planning on making thousands of them. It's a
sham(e) as there are still many electronics hackers about.

I heard it suggested a while back that an electronics club would be a
good idea, but since most folks are building different things at
different times I can't see it making much difference to the suppliers
that require you to order thousands of something before they'll even
answer the 'phone. Of course, a club/mailing list/group may create a
big virtual shared junk box. I've got some pretty esoteric parts in the
workshop and I'm sure others have the same.

Hmmm, a virtual junk box. Backend (My|Postgre)SQL with people's wants
and haves with a Ruby on Rails front end all wrapped up in some
unreadable colour scheme to make it look 1337...

Nah, it would never fly ;-)
--
Chronos