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A comment on Cloud-Based Circuit Board Assembly. Parent comment

Re:Cloud-Based Circuit Board Assembly by HeyLaughingBoy on Monday March 31, 2014 @02:25PM (#7503209)
How much of this is simply because of hobby-level or inexperienced builders, though?

When I was a full time EE, answers to questions like this were just a phone call away. The part manufacturer's FAE (Field Applications Engineer) were happy to answer questions like that ("what's a cheap, low-dropout 3.3V regulator that can handle 100mA and won't be on allocation anytime soon?") and would be around the next day with samples.

Even for our tiny company, we got excellent service. Hell, I had FAE's visiting me when I was working out of my apartment! Has that changed these days?

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Re:Cloud-Based Circuit Board Assembly by EChrisDenney on Monday March 31, 2014 @03:18PM (#7503501)
Yes and no. That can still exist, but many of those guys have been let go. Many of the chip manufacturers have been/were struggling to keep a float and FAE's were easy pickins. But the nice thing about having the community sort of decide which is the best 3.3V regulator is that then you can all buy that chip in bulk and know that the supply will be there and the price will be reasonable.
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