Does anyone else find Mouser a bear to use sometimes. When are users AND software designers going to learn to create apps that are logical and intuitive to use - for the industry and users they support? What a concept. Mouser's website has to be the most unintuitive website I have ever used. I've used it off and on for awhile and still can't figure out how to save a simple cart. I ,eam jeez, you'd think that would be a number one priority. It's great that they autosave the cart, but how about letting the user save it with another name - EASILY! I figured out a back-asswards way to do it a while back, but alas have now lost more brains cells and can't recall the gyrations I went through to do it. They freely use 'project' and 'carts' interchangeably. Trying to navigate a project, a BOM and a cart is almost not worth the effort. I can't tell you the number of times, I'd have a cart full of parts, and then push the button to order the cart and everything would get doubled. What? Something is not right here. It really shouldn't be this hard. And NO ONE should have to spend much time to figure it out! Ordering and simple managing of the project entities should be very easy to do. It's not SAP.
Rant over.
Rant over.
All you have to do is to log in and click New Cart on the cart page. That saves the current cart and creates a new empty one. View the saved carts and you can make them active, rename them, and whatnot.
I find Mouser and Digikey's websites and search engines to be quite good. Much better than, say, Amazon.
Tom
I find Mouser and Digikey's websites and search engines to be quite good. Much better than, say, Amazon.
Tom
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I agree Tom.
Try navigating Arrow or Newark search engines and one would run back to Mouser and DK 🤣
Try navigating Arrow or Newark search engines and one would run back to Mouser and DK 🤣
It's not the searching I have issues with, it's the manipulation of their website in a manner that is consistent with a logical work flow of doing what should be a simple task. I know I don't have a choice, but it be would nice if the navigation of the mechanics of the website process at least made sense.
I find a few component webs sites hard to use.
Probably best one is RS components.
Loads of choices down left hand side.
I try to use Microchip direct and its terrible.
So I use RS instead to choose a micro then purchase it from Microchip if its cheaper there.
Probably best one is RS components.
Loads of choices down left hand side.
I try to use Microchip direct and its terrible.
So I use RS instead to choose a micro then purchase it from Microchip if its cheaper there.
Actually I found mouser search more tickbox orientated than search text friendly but digikey's text search is better.
Current weather has delayed both my orders 🙁 due to weather.. but better people are ok..
Current weather has delayed both my orders 🙁 due to weather.. but better people are ok..
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Ah, that explains why my order is waiting for three days 'in the warehouse' status, while previous one was shipped out in only 4 hours.
I find Mouser interface OK to work with.
No kidding! Especially the "whoever's got the parts" part.
I usually upload my BOM spreadsheet into both Mouser and Digikey. A quick scroll down the cart reveals who gets the order.
I do find Mouser's BOM tool vastly better than Digikey's. Mouser's tool is intelligent enough to figure out when you want cut tape and when you're ordering a reel of parts. Digikey just barfs and gives a bunch of errors. You then have to select whether you want cut tape, digi-reel, or a full reel for each and every part. Grr! This occurs even if you give the part number for the cut tape part instead of the full reel. #whatever.
Tom
Reliabilty is a factor too.
I bought 10 off 7805 voltage regulators from CPC.
I wasnt sure what was in a bag so took one out and checked number.
First one was irfp540. Hadnt ordered those so checked order and none on the order.
So pulled out next component and that was a 7805 and so were the rest.
I was lucky first one was wrong as otherwise I would have just tipped whole bag into component drawer.
I built up 5 amplifier pcb's with components from Farnell.
None worked. So went through whole pcb checking each component value.
Found a resistor which was wrong despite its bag saying right value.
RS are usually pretty good but one day I got a wrong set of components.
Instead of correct component they had sent £300 worth of transformers !
Last week they sent two test leads instead of key pads.
Ebay can be good and bad. Some prices are very low compared to RS etc
I have been caught out a couple of times.
One was bad transistors which blew within a few minutes.
Another was wrong diodes sent, Zeners instead of BAT85's. I blew three PIC micro's due to this before I realised what was going on.
I needed some ad9201's, They were £15 + VAT at most online vendors.
Looked on Ali Express and they were £1.50 each and worked.
One problem with ali express is component lead pitch, they sometimes dont show them ! so pretty useless.
I bought 10 off 7805 voltage regulators from CPC.
I wasnt sure what was in a bag so took one out and checked number.
First one was irfp540. Hadnt ordered those so checked order and none on the order.
So pulled out next component and that was a 7805 and so were the rest.
I was lucky first one was wrong as otherwise I would have just tipped whole bag into component drawer.
I built up 5 amplifier pcb's with components from Farnell.
None worked. So went through whole pcb checking each component value.
Found a resistor which was wrong despite its bag saying right value.
RS are usually pretty good but one day I got a wrong set of components.
Instead of correct component they had sent £300 worth of transformers !
Last week they sent two test leads instead of key pads.
Ebay can be good and bad. Some prices are very low compared to RS etc
I have been caught out a couple of times.
One was bad transistors which blew within a few minutes.
Another was wrong diodes sent, Zeners instead of BAT85's. I blew three PIC micro's due to this before I realised what was going on.
I needed some ad9201's, They were £15 + VAT at most online vendors.
Looked on Ali Express and they were £1.50 each and worked.
One problem with ali express is component lead pitch, they sometimes dont show them ! so pretty useless.