[TriLUG] OT: local source for logic ICs?

[Brian]

On 1/16/2015 3:23 PM, matt at noway2.thruhere.net wrote:
> You simply don't see much mention or activity of it being alive and well.
> I figured a lot of that had to do with the way component technology has
> changed and moved away from the larger PTH (plated through hole)
> components and towards SMT (surface mount) and even worse IC packages that
> require expensive and specialized equipment.  The change being not only
> driven by size but by the electromagnetic principles associated with
> high(er) signal speeds.
>

It's true that more and more "interesting" silicon is only available in 
packages that are nigh-impossible for the hobbyist to handle.  My 
personal saving grace has on more than one occasion been the fact that I 
have home PCB manufacturing ability plus a hot-air rework station and 
solder paste.  I can make my own SMT-to-.1" breadboard-friendly carrier 
boards.  Most recently, a carrier for a USB-B socket and a 16MHz MEMS 
oscillator.

High(er) signal and clock speeds are also to blame themselves. 
Hertz-regime 5V TTL signals can deal with reflections and noise and 
missing decoupling capacitors.  MHz-regime low-V CMOS is not always so 
forgiving.