IEEE Parts Manager FAQ
By: Lifeng Jiang
(Parts Manager 2000-2001)
Last Revised: Aug 9, 2001
A: Okay, so I’m a parts manager now. What am I suppose do?
Q: Congrats on taking on this challenging yet rewarding job. First thing you need to do is to get in contact with the professors who teach the courses that require lab kits. IEEE is responsible for the lab kits for ECE95, ECE145, ECE146 and ECE295 (ACE suppose to take care of ECE 185, 186, and 285). Usually there’s very little modification to the lab kits from semester to semester. The lab kit for ECE 295 is simple. All you need is go to www.allegromicro.com and order samples of the chip UCN5804B. They should send you six chips, which is plenty for the course.
A: Where am I suppose to get the parts?
Q: Parts managers used to buy individual parts and put them together as kits. But the process was time consuming, and the kits were usually messy. Since I became parts manager, I’ve been ordering lab kits from the company Electronics Express www.elexp.com. What I do is that I email them the parts list and the number of kits I want and ask them for a quotation. I’ve included the current parts list in this binder. You may also find the electronic version of the parts list on my web page: www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~ljiang/parts.htm. Of course sometimes we need few exotics parts Electronics Express don’t carry. Then I would look for the parts from the following distributors:
Jameco www.jameco.com
Jameco’s a pretty good company with wide selection and a pretty good price. Since they’re located in California, shipping's usually 1 or 2 days.
Digikey www.digikey.com
Digikey carries wider selection than Jameco and their website is excellent. Their price is slightly more expansive than Jameco but there’s no tax.
Other distributors I've purchased from are:
Mouser: www.mouser.com // Similar to Digikey with slightly better prices.
Newark: www.newark.com // Huge selection. Excellent catalog.
Future Electronics: www.future-active.com // Again, huge selection. Very efficient and friendly customer service.
Acroname: www.acroname.com // Most of the parts are robotic oriented.
Electronics Goldmine: www.goldmine-elec.com // Carries surplus parts you can't find anywhere else.
If you still can’t find the parts you may want try the search engine:
Q: When should I get started?
A: As soon as possible. You should send Electronics Express the parts list at least a month before the school starts. It usually takes them 2 weeks to make the kits.
Q: How many kits should I order?
A: Before you order the kits, get in touch with the ECE department secretary and ask for the number of students that signed up for the courses you're interested in. Then go to the IEEE office and count the number of lab kits that are left over from the previous semester. Remember, it's unlikely that everyone in the class will purchase a lab kit, but order enough for everyone just to be on the safe side.
Q: How am I suppose to pay for the parts?
A: Well… IEEE will pay for the parts. However, we usually don’t have enough money left over from the previous semester to cover the total cost of the parts. So I have been putting the parts on the credit card for the previous 2 semesters.
Q: DAMN! No one ever told me this before. Can I get out of this position?
A: Ummm…. NO. Well, if you don’t want to use your credit card or your credit limit isn’t enough to cover the cost, try to borrow a credit card from the IEEE president or vice president. Sorry, I think this is the only way to pay for the parts unless IEEE becomes very rich in the future.
Q: I find that I have deep feelings for you, but I don't know how to express them because I fear rejection.
A: Don't worry. I love you too.
Q: How much should I charge for the parts?
A: I’ve included a price list from previous semester in the binder. You may want to modify the price from semester to semester depends on the current financial situation. The price list on the IEEE cabinet’s pretty expansive. You are allowed to make special discounts to your best customers.
Q: Your FAQ is excellent, but I still have some burning questions, may I contact you?
A: Certainly! You may reach me at: ljiang@ecst.csuchico.edu.