How do you go about purchasing components online?

I've noticed pretty big differences in the way to filter search results on sites like Mouser, Future, and Newark, but generally have problems easily narrowing down searches.

What site have you found to be the easiest to find obscure, very specific, parts via the filtering options?

I use findchips.com. It searches all the distributors with whole or partial part numbers (you need at least 3 characters) and displays each distributors stock and pricing. I even find parts that aren't strictly electronic, such as connectors and electric and machine control modules, so long as they are the sorts of things that distributors might carry.

Thanks Stephen, but I mean getting to the point to find the exact component where you'd find the part number in the first place.

Aluminum Capasitiors, for instance. There are thousands. I might need to account for things like packaging or lifetime@specific temperatures.

I know of no good way to do that.

In most distributor search engines you can order by parameter but there are often parameters you don't care about, including trade named formulations that are about like a generic formulation.

I also find that the parameter search can yield odd results, such as not recognizing suffixes, that is not realizing that 0.1 v is bigger than 100 mv.. I usually pick a single fundamental parameter and order the parts by price. I'm cheap and look through the least expensive parts first. The least expensive parts are ofter newer and sold in higher volume so bunches of other people thought they were pretty good. Maybe they know more than I do - or not.

Mosfets are a particular bother for me. There pages and pages with are dozens of proprietary designs that involve subtle differences that aren't important to me - I mostly use them for high power low frequency switching - and dozens of packages, many of which are close enough that they can use the same pad layout.

First place I go to is ebay then I pick up contacts in the far east If they don’t have what i want on eBay then I use search engines for micro chips and atmel its either buy 50 to 100 or you have to go to other recognized sources but that unfortunately is knowing where to go and if you are any good at what you do , You don’t tell people because that’s your bread and butter

That’s sort of information is hard to come by

They are contacts that take you years to locate so you don’t just give away contacts unless you are dealing with specific contacts who look after you on a personal regular basis that means right prices ,no arguments ,pleasant to deal with deliver on time , helpfull know thier industry , generally all the companies bar three of four in the Uk possibly at best three from ireland the rest are from all over europe not from this country they from europe , the far east, reasons they are just so helpfull so different and want to get on inlife

The type of people I like ( hard working committed to service and after sales service like I am )

All down to attitude you see

Those contacts you help other than this its the hard way and that is down to years and years of knowledge and experience and that will take you the best part of 40 years plus good luck

My motto is quite simple you help me I help you You look after me I look after you welcome to private virtual networking , You make sure I earn money I make sure you earn money as well

ill explain the difference a bit more to you as well I dgot in touch with a greman company day before yesterday A screaming customer had to have his unit back by saturday One email I got an answer Second email Ordered Third email dispatched No Arguments No fuss what so ever Free of charge delivery I can keep my customer happy and his company gets a good name Difference number one

Parts I get in touch with the chinese now Why Good price free delivery No arguments No fuss and delivery always gets to me on time never cheat me out of a thing always good

The UK or The US bar one or two companies always a problem Delivery never gets to you on time or even arrives at all
Cant be othered to return a phone call , Big I am attitude , Always want lots and lots of money for bugger all except with as I said a few Microchip being one of them , Always want lots of investment and then do the dirty on you , Always have plenty to say and talk about except when it comes to doing Im a doer I dont like to be kept waiting Ive got a business to run to uphold Always a problem with paying on time Always some excuse for not paying not delivering not doing not working

Thats why !! and thats why I am like I am with some people now because Ive heard this all before pomises and lies and cheats thats all they good at , and causing trouble and thieving and assault good at that alright !!

Digikey is my favorite, give them a try.

As I buy parts primarily as a an electronic hobbyist, I find Ebay is very useful, and the far east suppliers are very cheap, though parts can take a few weeks to arrive. Many old obsolete parts are still on sale.

Cost may be cut further if the Ebay seller has their own website (find by google) with lower prices.

The search function works very well, but may depend on which particular words the seller has used to describe their product.
So a plug may need to be searched for under socket, jack or connector.

Here is a website with an extensive parts database. I don't know if this is exactly what you are looking for, but it might be worth checking out.
"http://www.siliconexpert.com/(http://www.siliconexpert.com/)":http://www.siliconexpert.com/

Also very expensive !!