What's the hi-side current sense chip du jour?

name:

Not really. I have designed out tons of Maxim chips over my career. The scenario was always the same: Client had 5-10 units, worked nicely, with Maxim chips on there. So they had actually made some. The shocker came when they placed or rather wanted to place an order for xxxxx chips. Unobtanium.

name:

Yup, it's tragic that they design good chips and their management has such contempt for customers.

John

Sometimes I wonder about companies. The guys in Fremont for example, where I wonder whether they actually want to sell something. After I recommended their LSK170 to someone they tried to buy a few. Only through small distributors. Ok. Filed request, were told that a huge MOQ applied, no small qties to try out whether it works. Infineon behaved similarly, I wanted to design in their BSP297 a few years ago. It took half a dozen phone calls to their Silicon Valley office until someone bothered to call me back -> Designed it back out.

Ditto. I wanted some PAD5's (picoamp leakage diodes) for a prototype. They won't sample. But they will sell me parts with "no minumum quantity buy." But they won't quote pricing under 100 pieces. If you email them and ask plain questions, they won't give coherent answers.

So with some effort I found a better, cheaper part (the c-b junction of an RF transistor.)

John

Joerg's guys promised me some samples for a prototype, and I provided our Fedex account number. They did warn me it might not be right away. That was in .. umm.. October of 2008. I'm sure they'll arrive any minute now.. 8-(

That used to be the behavior of companies that were flush with defense contracts. Along the lines of "go away, will ya?". But in this day and age with COTS and all I can't imagine that being the case too often.

Which guys? Somewhere over in Europe?

We're talking about these guys, right?

John

I think that maybe there is something funny happening to you , guys. I talked to Paul Norton trying to purchase 20 parts at $3.50 ea. , and he sent me for free, samples that I was willing to pay for. Gave him even the CC number etc, and then he shipped 22 parts as free samples.

Jure Z.

Hey John, do you still have those step recovery diodes? Seems every way I try to contact you doesn't work. Did you get that letter I sent like last year?

Tim

Yup, *those* guys.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

The one where you didn't include the self-addressed envelope? Yup, got it.

John

Same guy, but no parts. I asked him specifically what I would need to do to get some, free or for money. No usable response.

John

So you don't have envelopes in the office?

Look, if you don't want to send them (or send them free), just say so. Don't lie to me.

Tim

Suboptimal. Suggested alternate strategy:

"Ahhh, my mistake. I'll send one right away, with chocolate."

Cheers, James Arthur