Hi - TI is good with samples, there are limits but they don't say=20 specifically how many free sample orders are too many. I did get 'cut=20 off' once 2 years ago, but 4 months later it was no problem again. More=20 lately they ask that I justify why I need a weird combination of chips=20 yet again. (i.e. mic preamps, LED drivers, zigbee, and dc/dc converters=20 are not commonly requested together several times over.) A year ago TI was a big problem for availability of a dc/dc, 4 month=20 lead times etc. Unlike Maxim, I got someone @ TI to send 10-20 as=20 samples several times which got me thru the crunch. And lots of=20 apologies. So I was gripey but at least they tried pretty hard to make=20 their mistakes not cause too much damage. And the datasheets are above average to excellent for the most part. And agreed about the cost problem of Linear. Wish they were cheaper,=20 I'd use them more. But, it is their business to decide pricing...=20 functionally I've only had one head-banging, punch the furniture issue=20 with anything from Linear. (a multichannel A/D that really needed=20 better documentation.) J V G wrote: > On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 12:53 AM, Jesse Lackey= wrote: > >> It is true often enough. Everything discussed on this thread I concur >> with and have experienced. The MAX1480BCPI fully-isolated 1-chip RS485 >> interface is great. And relatively expensive, and for 6 months totally >> unobtainable, as well as the related MAX1480ACPI. I redesigned the >> board to have a fully-iso rs485 of mostly my design that had no >> single-source parts, put that design within the footprint of the DIP-28 >> the MAX1480 comes in, and just before finalizing the proto they came >> back into stock. All this effort doing design and trying to source >> world-wide (I bought 50 at very high prices just to be able to make some >> of the product for waiting customers) - all this effort and worry and >> hassle due to Maxim. They just have to run their show better. Everyone >> else can do it (Atmel is a problem also but nothing like maxim.) >> >> So Maxim's been the worst supplier / biggest PITA for my business thus >> far, 5 years and counting. >> >> Oh, and they have some great parts. But seriously, I will /never/ use a >> maxim part again, I don't care how much more the TI/linear/ADI >> alternatives are in cost or boardspace. > > > I actually started buying components instead of sampling like a freeloade= r > and found TI to be pretty cheap actually. I found Linear to be expensive = but > I really like their parts (like ideal diode controllers, linear regulator= s, > etc). > > Now I just go to mouser and sort by price, then pick the part that is mos= t > in stock (principles...) as well has a nice datasheet. > > Ugly or nonexistent or hard to access datasheet =3D no buy. --=20 http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .