I click "request samples", select QTY = 5, and within 48 hours a box shows up on my doorstep. Sounds like pretty good customer service to me.
Maybe TI should charge double for influencers... 🙂
TI's sample program is restricted to "design engineers to support new product designs and to qualify TI devices in existing designs." They don't provide free samples for students either. You say what you want about this policy, but you gotta admit that it makes good business sense for TI to focus on clients who are likely to buy ICs by the reel rather than those who would like free stuff in exchange for exposure.
You can find more details about TI's sample program here: http://www.ti.com/info-store/help/free-sample-program.html
Tom
I acknowledge that "TI's sample program is restricted to design engineers to support new product
designs and to qualify TI devices in existing designs", but it is a different thing to offer samples in
a DIY forum then (see post 1 and post 15).
designs and to qualify TI devices in existing designs", but it is a different thing to offer samples in
a DIY forum then (see post 1 and post 15).
I can understand your disappointment, but I don't think there were any explicit promises made. Just an announcement that samples would be available (assumption: through the TI sample program) and a follow-up about a sample order from a specific member (who falls into the engineer/designer category). At least that's how I read those posts.
Update: Mouser now shows the BUF634AIDR available as a "non-stock" "new from this manufacturer" device. It's quite reasonably priced. It also looks like you can order it directly from TI. I don't know whether throwing money at TI in exchange for parts requires anything other than a credit card number, though. I would expect Mouser to start stocking the BUF134A if there's sufficient interest. It looks like you can order QTY = 1 from them directly. At least the product page does not indicate any minimum order quantity.
Tom
Update: Mouser now shows the BUF634AIDR available as a "non-stock" "new from this manufacturer" device. It's quite reasonably priced. It also looks like you can order it directly from TI. I don't know whether throwing money at TI in exchange for parts requires anything other than a credit card number, though. I would expect Mouser to start stocking the BUF134A if there's sufficient interest. It looks like you can order QTY = 1 from them directly. At least the product page does not indicate any minimum order quantity.
Tom
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My observation of the sample thing is that many semiconductor companies have tightened up on their policies. I know that for years you could order from most any email domain. I suspect that they realized that folks with gmail or <cable company email> domain names in their email addresses were getting parts for their own hobby/resell use. Then the same thing happened with .edu email addresses. (Some of these companies even had programs with special freebies for students working of 'capstone design products' or involved in research projects, but that appears to have changed)
I know that a number of years ago I saw many listings on eBay selling groups of THREE OPA627s at a price much less than the ~$30 one-each price from DigiKey. Claimed to be genuine product straight from the manufacturer -- I'm sure they were as, at the time, TI would allow you to order three free samples per sample request. These guys were ordering samples and then turning around and selling on eBay. If you were the company getting scammed on such transactions, wouldn't you be unhappy?
Now most manufacturers make it easy to order small quantities of electronic components straight from their web sites. It only makes sense that they would try to limit their sampling to customers likely to design them into a commercial product.
I know that a number of years ago I saw many listings on eBay selling groups of THREE OPA627s at a price much less than the ~$30 one-each price from DigiKey. Claimed to be genuine product straight from the manufacturer -- I'm sure they were as, at the time, TI would allow you to order three free samples per sample request. These guys were ordering samples and then turning around and selling on eBay. If you were the company getting scammed on such transactions, wouldn't you be unhappy?
Now most manufacturers make it easy to order small quantities of electronic components straight from their web sites. It only makes sense that they would try to limit their sampling to customers likely to design them into a commercial product.
As others have mentioned, TI has substantially restricted the sample policy in recent years to a level that has even surprised me. The reason is, as others have stated, severe abuse of free sampling and resale of sampled parts.
I apologize if people feel that they have been misled by this thread if they are unable to sample the device for free. However, these parts can be purchased directly from ti.com in small quantities. And there are no restrictions on that at all.
I apologize if people feel that they have been misled by this thread if they are unable to sample the device for free. However, these parts can be purchased directly from ti.com in small quantities. And there are no restrictions on that at all.
John, I like that OPA2834, but wonder if there is a higher-voltage member of the family with these specs and low supply current? Like 30V? ;-)
Jan
Jan
It would be extremely hard to match the OPA2834's combination of bandwidth and power consumption in a high voltage device. For a given collector current density, a low voltage transistor is going to have a higher Ft than a high voltage transistor, all other things being equal.
The OPAx196 family is pretty close in terms of noise, and power consumption. But they are about a 10th of the gain bandwidth of the OPA2834, and will also have significantly higher distortion. OPA1692 and the OPA207 are pretty good low power, high voltage, bipolar op amps, but again the bandwidth is going to be much lower. There's also the OPA145 for a JFET option.
The OPAx196 family is pretty close in terms of noise, and power consumption. But they are about a 10th of the gain bandwidth of the OPA2834, and will also have significantly higher distortion. OPA1692 and the OPA207 are pretty good low power, high voltage, bipolar op amps, but again the bandwidth is going to be much lower. There's also the OPA145 for a JFET option.
Re original thread topic BUF634A perhaps -some- samples can be distributed by
trusted retired engineers here to active engineers and a few influencers also ?
In the TI shop I see the buffer listed for reasonable 2.5 Dollars, but ordering was
not possible. Will try with a different browser later. Thanks anyway.
trusted retired engineers here to active engineers and a few influencers also ?
In the TI shop I see the buffer listed for reasonable 2.5 Dollars, but ordering was
not possible. Will try with a different browser later. Thanks anyway.
FWIW, I have never ordered samples. Digikey and Mouser work just fine - why would it have to be free? The time it takes to put one into a circuit and turn it on far exceeds any retail cost.
as_audio, A couple weeks ago a colleague and I noticed something when trying to order (or purchase) a part from the TI web site. He was trying to do it on his iPhone and couldn't find either the 'buy' or 'sample' button. I got the same result on my Android phone, but I noticed at the bottom of the page that I had an option for my browser to load the 'desktop' pages. Many web sites load different pages depending on whether you are working from a small device (phone or tablet) vs from a computer (laptop or desktop). When I loaded the desktop version of the page, both the buy and sample buttons were there. It appears that the TI mobile pages are crippled.
I expect your problem is not the browser per se, but use of personal mobile device vs computer and the different resulting web pages that get fed to you.
I expect your problem is not the browser per se, but use of personal mobile device vs computer and the different resulting web pages that get fed to you.
OT on/
Brian, just today I send a short 'Tech Brief' from one of your former colleagues, Michael Steffes, to AudioXpress for publication.
Your name came up ;-)
OT off/
Jan
Brian, just today I send a short 'Tech Brief' from one of your former colleagues, Michael Steffes, to AudioXpress for publication.
Your name came up ;-)
OT off/
Jan
Brian, the buy and sample buttons are there, the "Cart" ia adressed, function stops after that.
I am using the regular big computer.
I am using the regular big computer.
Samples have been offered to the "community" in post 1 and 15.
I wrote that the regular "TI - shop" price of 2.5 $ is reasonable.
The prices of BUF 634 at my favourite supplier, 10 Euro and
up, however are not and the new type A is not even available.
as -- odd, I've not had that problem with the web site.
OT on/ Jan, my sordid past appears to be catching up to me. OT off/
OT on/ Jan, my sordid past appears to be catching up to me. OT off/
Hi
Any news on alternative packages? I have a design that uses the BUF634 in a D2-pak and would like to migrate to the 634A.
Any news on alternative packages? I have a design that uses the BUF634 in a D2-pak and would like to migrate to the 634A.
We have a couple of new packages coming out in the 1st quarter of 2020, but unfortunately the D2PAK is not one of them. Both packages do have improved thermal performance over the SOIC version that is currently released. I will update this thread when the new versions have been added to the datasheet later this year.