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Questions relating to designing PCBs
By mac*nixnerd
#190146
hi all....

am a tinkerer/inventor/designer of a variety of things..

i've been plagued by a recurring issue, and i'm sure it's my own fault!

So, for example, i'm wanting to design/hack a new USB 3.0 hub with a flash (SD) and CF card slot.
So i know i need a couple ICs - the USB 3.0 hub controller (TI, Cypress, etc).. have found some on say Mouser and Digikey..

but, are there other good sources of info (other than simply 'walking the aisles of Mouser'??

If you were say, looking for a USB 3.0 flash-to-USB interface IC, where would you look? how would you go about it?

thanks for your $.02!
By lyndon
#190151
One word: google

Experience helps. Over time, you learn what manufacturer tends to have the "right" implementation of certain types of device. And whose design philosophy you agree with. i.e., two manufacturers may produce a part that does the same thing, but one of them has an interface that makes no sense, or is badly thought out, etc., while the other just seems "smoother."

In days gone by, the massive IC Master set of reference books would have been helpful, if time consuming. I doubt IC Master is still around. Or I'd call up my favorite local distributor and ask her what she could find. But now? Google.