US Sources for old ICs

[Paul Koning]

>>>>> "Joe" == Joe R <rigdonj at cfl.rr.com> writes:

 Joe> The small surface mount only packages are a BIG problem for
 Joe> individuals that want to build a single circuit. A friend of
 Joe> mine designs and builds a lot of circuits commercailly and he's
 Joe> always raising hell with the IC manufacturers and trying to get
 Joe> them to produce chips in DIP packages. I keep telling him that
 Joe> it's hopeless.

There's at least one company that builds SMT to DIP adapters, so you
can plug SMT packaged chips into DIP prototyping systems and the like.

Of course manufacturers don't want to use DIPs.  They are electrically
inferior.  For that matter, they are also obsolete -- if they made DIP
packaged chips they would certainly be very low volume products.

I understand the preference for DIPs in amateur work, though SMT isn't
really all that hard.  But I can't imagine any reason for wanting DIPs
in new commercial designs.  They are bigger, slower, not RoHS
compliant, ...

	   paul