Nowadays, the term "online" is synonymous with convenience. The 24-hour, self-service Web allows its users to be in the driver seat. Vast amounts of information and resources are available at our fingertips instantly, whenever we may need it. Of course, among the user group are engineers, who can choose from the tremendous variety of design information and tools available via many different sources. Never before have so many design resources been available straight from the desktop, laptop, palmtop, and so forth.
With the myriad of Web sites out there, where should you point your browser when you need answers to those tough design questions? Most semiconductor, system, and software vendors offer design resources on their Web sites. There is also a good number of vendor-independent Web sites. These latter sites may offer design tips and techniques, allow designers to exchange information, dispense free design software and support, or act as a sort of information clearinghouse, routing users to the article or Web site of their choice (see the table).
However, the majority of online design resources are found at the vendor Web sites. You needn't be a customer to benefit. Even if designers haven't yet decided which parts they will use, these Web sites are still quite helpful. For one thing, they often contain generic design information targeted at every level from novice to seasoned expert. In addition, most sites automate part searches and evaluation.
Manufacturers generally put all of their technical documentation online, with product data sheets and application notes being standard fare. Yet many of today's sites now provide further levels of sophistication, offering online technical seminars, forums, tools, and software models.
EASY TO NAVIGATE
Companies are investing lots of time and resources to ensure that their sites are easy to navigate, assisting engineers in their ever shrinking design cycles. At Analog Devices Inc. (www.analog.com), the Web design team struggled with the tradeoffs between the volume of information on the site and to what extent that volume would compromise the overall Web site experience, says Mark Skillings, director of marketing.
Analog Devices' site has an increased emphasis on online tools. The company recently added the Virtual Design Center, which includes interactive tools to help users choose a part or apply a part within their design. A powerful parametric search engine can find a part for use, and if the exact part isn't available, it locates a part that's "close." The tools can also configure a part and determine if a part is being used within its defined boundaries. There is also a variety of calculators.
In general, engineers like the self-service capability offered by Web sites. A convenient self-service feature of many semiconductor Web sites is the ability to order sample parts for quick delivery. For instance, users can order a sample from any point on the Analog Devices Web site. As with many semiconductor companies, delivery is generally within 24 hours.
An important distinction between ordering samples by phone or online is that online access is available all day, every day, including weekends and holidays. In the case of Analog Devices, sample requests are linked to an automated ordering system that will deliver a part when you need it.
In addition to ordering samples, typically users can purchase products online. Apex Microtechnology Corp. (www.apexmicrotech.com), for example, offers an online store where engineers can buy small quantities of the company's product or evaluation kits. In fact, the Apex evaluation kits cost 25% less online.
Companies spend lots of time and effort on deciding which features and information will reside on their site. Christer Ljungdahl, Web manager for National Instruments Corp. (www.ni.com), explains that the company used a variety of different resources to determine what features to include on the site. First, it examined the types of questions that application engineers most frequently answered when working directly with customers. National Instruments also conducted usability surveys of customers, determining what specific information they need to be successful. Finally, it evaluated other sites and reviewed industry studies that evaluated which technical support sites are most effective and why.
On top of standard features like product information, National Instruments brings some innovative design resources to the table. For example, NI Developer Zone is an online developer community with over 4000 tutorials, application notes, presentations, and example code that assists engineers with their application development (Fig. 1). Much of the content in this area of the site is not product-specific. Rather, it simply focuses on measurement and automation concepts.