JFET Prices

[raulduke]

I just had a quick look at J201 and 2N5457 prices across the web... holy sh*t balls 

I'm glad I stocked up when I did.

Another reason for us DIY'ers to start going the SMD route at some point I guess...

[culturejam]

There used to be (rather recently) really great deals on 2N5457 JFETS on ebay if you went with 100 or 200-piece lots. Now those seem to be gone. But you can still get good deals on J201 (about 15 cents each) if you buy in bulk.

I've got maybe 300-ish 2N5457 and maybe 100 or so J201s. But these days I don't even design around them because of the obsolescence. I do plan to do my own layout for the BSIAB, but that's about it.

You're right about SMD, though. That technology will be around for the long haul.

[stecykmi]

You're right about SMD, though. That technology will be around for the long haul.

they probably said that about thru-hole!

do JFETs even exist in a smd package?

[madbean]

I got a good size of them right after the announcement. But, I got no qualms with SMD. Prices aren't that good, though.

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Fairchild-Semiconductor/MMBFJ201/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMs8pq%2frIcncIDuloSKJeQKQXmcIPzQ6%252bKo%3d

[culturejam]

But, I got no qualms with SMD. Prices aren't that good, though.

The price for 1000+ is pretty good. Splitting it between 2-3 people would be ideal.

[jubal81]

I recently took my first stab at making an Eagle part - SMD 5457. I'm pretty sure I did it right, but I've got no experience with those parts. I guess I'll make up a board and take a stab at this stuff. Any good SMD libraries for stuff we use a lot?

[Haberdasher]

But, I got no qualms with SMD. Prices aren't that good, though.

The price for 1000+ is pretty good. Splitting it between 2-3 people would be ideal.

I'll go in with someone for sure.

[madbean]

I recently took my first stab at making an Eagle part - SMD 5457. I'm pretty sure I did it right, but I've got no experience with those parts. I guess I'll make up a board and take a stab at this stuff. Any good SMD libraries for stuff we use a lot?

You can probably get all the SMD libraries you need from the EagleCAD site. They have a lot of libraries. There should be some in the default library, too.

[culturejam]

I think all the FETs and transistors that we would be using are SOT23, and there are a couple of those in the Eagle default libraries.

[jubal81]

I think all the FETs and transistors that we would be using are SOT23, and there are a couple of those in the Eagle default libraries.

That's what I did - took the SOT23 model and made a new 5457 variant in my Madbean library. Checked the pinout again in layout view, so I'm pretty sure I got it. Although I think I'll post a picture in the Eagle thread to get another set of eyes on it.

[Scruffie]

I got a good size of them right after the announcement. But, I got no qualms with SMD. Prices aren't that good, though.

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Fairchild-Semiconductor/MMBFJ201/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMs8pq%2frIcncIDuloSKJeQKQXmcIPzQ6%252bKo%3d

As times change, what's the probability of Madbean moving to prestuffed, at least partially, SMD boards?

Could be nice to have all the resistors and caps done and just jam your opamps, pots and whatever else in.

[madbean]

I'd say the chances of that are pretty near zero, ha ha. Shoot, if I were going through that much trouble I might as well just be in the pedal making business, not the DIY business.

[pickdropper]

I think all the FETs and transistors that we would be using are SOT23, and there are a couple of those in the Eagle default libraries.

That's what I did - took the SOT23 model and made a new 5457 variant in my Madbean library. Checked the pinout again in layout view, so I'm pretty sure I got it. Although I think I'll post a picture in the Eagle thread to get another set of eyes on it.

You're a lot less lazy about it than I am. :-)

I've done a small handful of SMT layouts in Eagle and, so far, I have been able to do everything with the stock libraries.  I only focus on the package and the pinouts and that has worked fine.  Since SMT is more common these days, I've found most major packages are there in some form or another

[jubal81]

I've done a small handful of SMT layouts in Eagle and, so far, I have been able to do everything with the stock libraries.  I only focus on the package and the pinouts and that has worked fine.  Since SMT is more common these days, I've found most major packages are there in some form or another

Yeah, it was an exercise to force me to do some more Eagle learnin'. Probably the smartest thing would be to take the 'equivalent' components, rename them and move them to the library I like. Now just to figure that one out ...

[Scruffie]

I'd say the chances of that are pretty near zero, ha ha. Shoot, if I were going through that much trouble I might as well just be in the pedal making business, not the DIY business.

Haha, I didn't mean personally soldering them. Just seen Dr.Scientists new PCBs though that he has stuffed out of house and was thinking how it'd be nice to be able to cram builds in tiny PCBs, have a machine do all the leg work and finish up just the ICs, transistors, pots etc.