Why buy electronic components from an Independent distributor

September 27, 2017

Electronic components from an Independent distributor?

Many electronic OEM and contract manufacturers these days prefer to only buy from authorized franchise distributors. In a perfect world, this is where all purchases should be made. However, as I am sure you know this is not a perfect world. Due to the increase in counterfeit parts, mainly originating from China, manufacturers of circuit boards are at risk when buying from the open, gray market.

Stay away from counterfeit electronics

Some of the most counterfeited components include FPGA chips made by Xilinx and Altera. The reason Xilinx and Altera chips are counterfeited so much is due to the high dollar value and being obsolete and hard to find. Some other highly counterfeited components include Integrated Circuits manufactured by Atmel, Analog Devices, Maxim, Intel, Samsung.

Buying from a franchised, authorized distributor is the safest way to buy. Unfortunately, most expensive FPGA Integrated Circuits by Xilinx and Altera chips are made in small numbers and franchise does not always have enough stock to cover the needs of the circuit board manufacturer.

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Finding The Best Component Distributor

This is where Independent distributors like Direct Components, Inc. in Tampa, Florida help bridge the gap. Direct Components, Inc. has been in business almost 20 years and stocks authentic obsolete and hard to find Integrated Circuits, FPGA, CPLD, by Xilinx and Altera. Most brokers of electronic components are merely a conduit and do not have the ability or knowhow to inspect, test, and certify that the parts they are brokering are genuine, or even work.

Direct Components, Inc. has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in counterfeit detection equipment, and a technical staff of well educated professionals that know how to verify the parts we sell are authentic.

If you are buying from a broker on the open market that you do not know you are taking a huge risk. Direct Components, Inc. is an independent stocking distributor that specializes in obsolete and hard to find integrated circuits from major manufacturers such as Altera, Atmel, Cypress, Dallas, Fairchild, Hitachi,Intel, Microsemi, National Semiconductor, Plessy, Renesas, Samsung, Texas Instruments, Wafer Scale, Xilinx and Zilog.

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Why choose Direct Components?

Direct Components, Inc. is an ISO 9001:2008 / AS9102A certified distributor. Direct Components, Inc. buys OEM excess from large tier one and prime contractors worldwide. Direct Components, Inc. utilizes the latest technology available to inspect, the inside (by way of decapsulation) and outside (by way of high-powered microscopes) X-ray the lot to verify it is homogenous, electrically test the parameters per the spec sheet, solder-ability testing and many others. Supplying quality components is paramount to succeeding in the independent distribution business.

Do your research on the authorized distributor

Next time you buy from an independent distributor ask them a few important questions, such as; How long have you been in business? (any less than 5 years may increase the risk) What certifications do you have? (a minimum of ISO 9001:2008 should be required, but AS9120A should be preferred) Do you have traceability?(Untraceable parts can be very risky. Direct Components, inc. uses manufacturer certificate of compliances, packing slips from the original franchised distributor, or bar codes, lot codes from the original packaging to trace components back to the original component manufacturer) What region of the world do the components originate from? (Most of the counterfeit components in the electronic component industry originate from China) What process do you use to confirm authenticity?(At a minimum vendors should be able to inspect the parts with a high powered microscope, decap a random samples to verify the die is original, X-ray the lot to be sure all of the parts are the same, and perform some basic electrical testing) What is your process to approve suppliers? ( Independent distributors, also know as brokers of electronic components, should have a process in place to vet their sources.

At a minimum they should check the vendor’s website, google earth to see what their facility looks like, ask for and contact at least three trade references, ask for proof of their industry certifications (and verify they are authentic), check ERAI, and other industry related websites to see if they have been reported. These are just a few steps in the lengthy process Direct Components, Inc. uses to vet before approving our sources on our approved vendor list) There is a difference between a broker and an ID (independent Distributor) Brokers usually do not have a warehouse or any stock, they usually have a small office or work out of their house.

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Demand the best customer experience

Most brokers only have a few people working at their company. Some brokers just get a list of hundreds of thousands of different part numbers and add to search websites or google and hope for a customer in need to contact them. When they get a requirement they shop around for the lowest price and try to sell for the most they can. They usually do not concern themselves with quality, it’s mostly all about making a quick buck. On the other hand, companies like Direct Components, Inc. is an ISO 9001:2008 / AS9102A certified independent stocking distributor of obsolete and hard to find board level components.

We stock thousands of authentic parts made by Altera and Xilinx, just to name a few. We only deal with trusted suppliers that have been vetted and approved to be on our exclusive approved vendor list. We inspect, test and guarantee the parts we sell. We buy and stock parts from large OEM customers. Although we specialize in Altera and Xilinx FPGA and CPLD parts, we also stock other obsolete and hard to find Integrated Circuits. When you are unable to get a part from a franchise, authorized distributor contact Direct components, Inc. in Tampa, Florida for assistance.

Why take your chances with start up companies, ebay, alibaba, Amazon or fake companies that change their name weekly and pretend to have trusted sources, testing capabilities, quality parts, etc. Large OEM, contract manufacturers,

EMS providers worldwide that use Altera and Xilinx FPGA and CPLD obsolete and hard to find integrated circuits for production in Aerospace, Defense, Medical, Military, and Commercial applications have been trusting Direct Components, Inc. for the past 20 years to successfully source their obsolete and hard to find electronic components. Visit us on the web @ www.directics.com

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Quality Policy

Direct Components is committed to customer satisfaction by supplying quality products and services on time, while maintaining unsurpassed levels of ethical standards. Our quality goals are achieved through continual process improvement, adhering to applicable requirements, innovation, ongoing training, and teamwork.