Homebrew PCBs

I'm really starting to like these SMT parts.  You can tuck them into 
some really tight little places.  Once you get used to it soldering 
them is a breeze - solder wick is my friend.  get a magnifying visor 
to solve the squint-o-death problem.  

The down side is you can't easily route traces between the pads like 
through hole stuff so you wind up with more vias.  and there is a &%
$# d*mn photo diode on my floor, somewhere.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Dave Mucha" <dave_mucha@y...> 
wrote:
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Anthony Toft <toftat@c...> 
> wrote:
> > > absolutely.  they have one of the most generous sample policies 
> > > going.  
> > 
> > Oh yes! they ask for a company name (mine is Toft Technology) and 
> they
> > _might_ call you, but as far as I am concerned they have the best 
> sample
> > policies, 8 part numbers per order, two of each! It's excellent! 
> They
> > have killer parts too, I am building a NiMH battery charger using 
> their
> > MAX712 part.
> > 
> > I am not a Maxim employee, I am just _that_ impressed by their 
> policies
> > 
> > -- 
> > Anthony Toft <toftat@c...>
> 
> 
> I have requested samples from them and like their policies about 
> sending them.
> 
> However, I do not get samples for my personal projects unless there 
> is no retail channel.  Some parts are just not stocked by Digi-Key 
or 
> others.
> 
> Also, I ALWAYS check the price should I ever need to buy one.  A 
> $22.00 ADC chip that they will send you as a sample will burn your 
> wallet if you blow it up and have to replace it and cannot get 
> another sample.
> 
> The one thing I don't like about Maxim is that they have such darn 
> small chips.
> 
> A 4 amp MOSFET driver chip in an SOT-23 package.  First, get white 
> paper out all over the floor because if you drop it, foget finding 
it.
> 
> second, the pads are on 0.9mm centers and the pads are tiny.  
Figure 
> that I like 1mm drills and the pad distance is less than that......
> 
> And, that is a large chip as far as small chips go.
> 
> I think the only way I can touch that is an toaster over solder 
> project.
> 
> Dave
> (who likes 8 pin DIP's)