Here are links to manufacturers and vendors that may be helpful to you in finding components, getting data sheets, and building mechatronic systems. The links below are by no means exhaustive. Some of the information has been adapted from the Stanford SPDL web page and Appendix C from Mobile Robots by Joseph Jones and Anita Flynn (both of which are excellent resources).

Have a look! If you come across others that you think should be listed here or find any broken links, please let me know.

Actuators, Drive Components, and Electromechanical Parts (new)

• Applied Industrial Technologies distributor of bearings, mechanical components, actuators, pneumatics, etc.
• Ball Screws & Actuators Co. ball screws, leadscrews, linear actuators, rails, and bearings
• Berg (W. M. Berg, Inc.) chains, belts, gears, couplings, bearings, shafts, etc. (relatively small parts)
• Electric Motor Manufacturers electric motor manufacturers including DC motors, stepper motor, servo motors, AC motor, gear motors, and DC electric motors.
• Fractional Horsepower Motors manufacturer's directory for fractional hp motors, dc, ac, gearmotors, etc.
• Linear Actuators Manufactures Blog linear actuator manufacturers including electric actuators, electric linear actuators, positioning tables, positioning stages, linear motion components, and linear positioners
• Mannesmann Rexroth linear motion products: bearings, linear actuators, linear bushings, etc.
• Maxon Precision Motors high quality dc brush and brushless motors
• McMaster-Carr large supplier of mechanical, maintenance, and industrial supplies
• Micro Mo fractional horsepower DC motors, precision gearheads, tachometers,encoders, brakes, and complete servo systems.
• Miniature Precision Components, Inc. gears, pulleys, bearings, shafts, dowel pins, etc. ((mention that your were referred via this website and get a small discount!)
• Motion Online industrial machine control supplier
• NSK linear and rotary bearings, leadscrews and nuts
• Oriental Motors stepper, ac and dc motors and controls
• Portescap fractional horsepower DC motors, precision gearheads, etc.
• PIC Design standardized precision mechanical components such as gears, belts, couplings, fasteners, etc.
• Pittman large range of dc brush and brushless motors
• Small Parts, Inc. standardized precision mechanical components such as gears, belts, couplings, fasteners, etc.
• Stock Drive Products, Inc. standardized precision mechanical components such as gears, belts, couplings, fasteners, etc.
• THK linear and rotary bearings, leadscrews and nuts, linear actuators
• Thomson Industries, Inc. linear and rotary bearings, leadscrews and nuts, precision shafting, bushings, etc.
• UltraMotion manufacturer of small electromechanical linear actuators for precision motion control
• Valtorc International, Inc. industrial valves and actuators made in the USA

Actuators, Drive Components, and Electromechanical Parts (used)

• American Science and Surplus847-982-0874 (Illinois) wide assortment of electronic surplus.$12.50 minimum order (includes the $4 shipping charge)
• B.G. Micro, Inc.800-276-2206 a variety of surplus electronic components, mostly computer oriented, but with a regular streak of motors and LCD displays.
• Electronic Goldmine800-445-0697 a wide variety of mostly surplus components and project kits. Lots of neat stuff.
• Marlin P. Jones & Associates800-652-6733 surplus electronic and electro-mechanical parts. Also sells project kits.
• C and H Sales Company800-325-9465 a good source for surplus motors, power supplies, electronic components, fans, optics and more
• Electronics Flea Market Foothill Community College, 2nd Saturday of the month from March - October, dawn till noon nice source for used electronic components, computer stuff, tools, consumer electronics, ham radio equipment
• Excess Solutions 1555 S 7th St, San Jose (408) 262-3900 surplus electronics, motors, pneumatics, and other goodies.
• H & R Company (Herbach and Rademan)800-848-8001 most items are new overstocks, and surplus; much regularly stocked stuff as well. Tools, electrical components, DC, stepper & AC motors, mechanical components. $5 processing charge on orders under $25.
• Hosfelt Electronics800-524-6464 good source for surplus electronic parts, a few DC and stepper motors.
• HSC Electronic Supply (Halted Specialties Co.) Bad news: they have closed. Good news: their inventory was sold to Excess Solutions, which is at 7th and Alma St.
• Resources Un-Ltd. 603-668-2499 (New Hampshire) surplus electronics; used and refurbished test equipment; motors.

EE and Chip Selection Resources

Helpful for finding the device you need, part no., manufacturer, vendors, etc.

• Data Sheet Archive an extensive source for data sheets
• Data Sheet Pro a relatively new search engine and data base for electronic components and circuits
• DigChip.com a comprehensive resource database on electronic components and circuits
• EE Design Center a comprehensive technical resource for the electronic design engineering community
• EEM.com electronic engineers master online is billed as the electronic engineer's search engine for electronic parts
• EE Projects Info site a good listing (with comments) of helpful sites for everything EE!
• IC Chip Directory an excellent resource for finding numerically and functionally ordered chip lists, chip pinouts and lists of chip manufacturers, manufacturers of controller embedding tools, electronics, books, CDROM's, magazines, WWW sites and much more.
• IC Master this site boasts of ability to access over 150 million parts
• Part Miner a leading-edge online resource for online information and purchasing of electronic parts
• DataSheets.com a new website to easily find electronics parts and inventory. Over 185 million parts in their database.
• Siliconexpert.com extensive tools for part search, BOM management, and managing electronic parts

Electronic Parts Suppliers (new)

• Acroname303-258-3161 (CO) books, sensors, and parts for robot enthusiasts
• Allied Electronics800-433-5700 a major distributor of electronics parts
• Arrow Electronics 408-441-4050 a major distributor of electronics parts. $25 minimum order
• AT Battery877-528-2288 Supplies rechargeable batteries: Li-ion, lithium, NiMH, lead acid. Student discounts available.
• Circuit Specialists, Inc.800-528-1417 offers a wide range of electronic parts; can supply pre-packaged kits of parts per your spec.
• C & S Sales800-292-7711 test equipment, science, toys, and parts
• Digikey800-344-4539 wide selection of parts and excellent service
• Electronix Express800-972-2225 competitive prices; can supply pre-packaged kits of parts per your spec.
• Jameco800-831-4242 good selection of parts; excellent service; can supply pre-packaged kits of parts per your spec.
• JDR Microdevices800-538-5000 local vendor for electronic components and PC products
• MCM Electronics 800-543-4330 test equipment, tools, connectors, replacement parts for electronic appliances
• Mouser Electronics800-346-6873 a wide selection of parts; regional distribution centers; will fax detailed specs to you.
• Newark Electronics800-463-9275 a major distributor with a huge selection of parts; local offices around the country. $25 minimum order.
• Radio Shack (check phone book or web site for nearby stores) basic components, connectors, tools, batteries

Electronic Parts Suppliers (used )

• Advanced Component Electronics (ACE) 408-416-0513 local surplus supplier with a good selection of components, connectors, etc.
• All Electronics Corp.800-826-5432 surplus boards, components, assemblies; good source for LCD display modules
• Alltronics408-943-9773 a local surplus electronics supplier
• Altex Electronics800-531-5369
• American Science and Surplus847-982-0874 (Illinois) wide assortment of electronic surplus.$12.50 minimum order (includes the $4 shipping charge)
• B.G. Micro, Inc.800-276-2206 a variety of surplus electronic components, mostly computer oriented, but with a regular streak of motors and LCD displays.
• C and H Sales Company800-325-9465 a good source for surplus motors, power supplies, electronic components, fans, optics and more
• Electronics Flea Market Foothill Community College, 2nd Saturday of the month from March - October, dawn till noon nice source for used electronic components, computer stuff, tools, consumer electronics, ham radio equipment
• Electronic Goldmine800-445-0697 a wide variety of mostly surplus components and project kits. Lots of neat stuff.
• H & R Company (Herbach and Rademan)800-848-8001 most items are new overstocks, and surplus; much regularly stocked stuff as well. Tools, electrical components, DC, stepper & AC motors, mechanical components. $5 processing charge on orders under $25.
• Hosfelt Electronics800-524-6464 good source for surplus electronic parts, a few DC and stepper motors.
• Marlin P. Jones & Associates800-652-6733 surplus electronic and electro-mechanical parts. Also sells project kits.
• Just In Time510-490-1377 a local surplus dealer specializing component level computer electronics.
• R & D Electronic Parts408-262-7144 or 800-675-1177 a local supplier of electronic parts
• Resources Un-Ltd. 603-668-2499 (New Hampshire) surplus electronics; used and refurbished test equipment; motors.
• SMC ELECTRONICS (508) 884-3061 (Massachussetts) surplus electronics; emphasis on personal computer hardware.
• Surplus Traders.net(514) 739-9328 (Vermont) surplus electronic, computer, and high-tech parts and equip.
• Tucker Electronics 800-527-4642 surplus electronic gear; used and refurbished 'scopes and signal generators.

Local Parts Suppliers

local vendors of new and used parts, etc.

• Advanced Component Electronics (ACE) 1810 Oakland Rd # C , San Jose, 408-416-0513 surplus supplier with a good selection of components, connectors, etc.
• Alltronics PO BOX 730 Morgan Hill, CA 95038-0730 408-778-3868 surplus electronics and motors
• Anchor Electronics 2040 Walsh Ave., Santa Clara, 408-727-3693 a local electronics supplier (new parts) M-F 7:30 am-4:30 pm, Sat. 10 am-3 pm
• Applied Industrial Technologies 255 E. Brokaw Rd., San Jose, CA, 95112, 408-436-5464 new parts supplier for W. M. Berg and other mechanical and electromechanical parts.
• Excess Solutions 1555 S 7th St, San Jose (408) 262-3900 surplus electronics, motors, pneumatics, and other goodies.
• Just In Time 4450 Enterprise, Suite 113, Fremont, 510-490-1377 surplus dealer specializing component level computer electronics.
• Miniature Precision Components, Inc. 3501 Thomas Road # 11, Santa Clara, 95054, (408) 986-8464 gears, pulleys, bearings, shafts, dowel pins, etc. (mention that your were referred via this website and get a small discount!)

Microcontrollers

• Atmel microcontrollers, ASIC's, memory IC's, imaging, and wireless chips
• Douglas Electronics sells PC boards and kits for the Handy Board, a 68HC11-based controller developed at MIT
• Gleason Research sells the Handy Board, a 68HC11-based controller developed at MIT
• Microchip manufacturer of the PIC microcontroller family
• Micromint a leading supplier of single-board computers and industrial embedded controllers
• Motorola manufactures a broad range of microcontrollers (including the 68HC11 chip we use in the lab)
• Oricom Technologies sells a very nice board using the OOPic microcontroller
• New Micros sells some nice, modular development boards (what we use in the lab)
• Parallax sells the Basic Stamp, a PIC-based microcontroller
• Rabbit Semiconductor sells the Rabbit, a nicely integrated, feature-rich, 8-bit microcontroller

Semiconductor Manufacturers

good sources for device data sheets, application notes, etc.

• Allegro Micro Systems power IC's (motor drivers, etc.), signal processing IC's, and Hall-effect sensor IC's
• Analog Devices, Inc. analog, mixed signal, and digital IC's used in signal-processing applications.
• Atmel microcontrollers, ASIC's, memory IC's, imaging, and wireless chips
• Dallas Semiconductor chips and chip-based subsystems for a variety of applications, from timing to thermal management
• Fairchild Semiconductor analog, mixed signal, logic, non-volatile memory and discrete power and signal devices
• Gray's List the most complete and up-to-date listing of IC manufacturers available on the internet
• Harris Semiconductor logic, power, signal processing, telecommunication, digital, and radiation hardened devices
• International Rectifier power semiconductor devices
• Linear Technologies high performance linear IC's including op-amps, data acquisition, power management, etc.
• Maxim Integrated Products linear, mixed signal IC's (data converters, interface circuits, power supplies, voltage references, etc.)
• Microchip embedded controllers (maker of the PIC microcontroller)
• Motorola analog, mixed signal, logic, microcontrollers, discrete and small signal, telecommunication, etc.
• ON Semiconductor IC's for power management and low-voltage power transistors
• National Semiconductor analog, mixed signal, microcontrollers, audio, wireless communication
• Philips Semiconductor logic, linear, power, small signal, sensors, microcontrollers, RF, communications, multimedia
• ST Microelectronics formerly SGS-Thomson, analog, mixed-signal, telecommunication, automotive, and industrial control IC's
• Texas Instruments analog, mixed signal, logic, ASIC, microcontrollers, programmable logic
• Vishay Siliconix MOSFET's, power IC's, optoelectronics, diodes, transistors

Sensors

• Acroname Robotics expertise and products for applications in embedded robotic, automation and control systems.
• Banner Engineering a leading manufacturer of industrial sensors especially photoelectric and fiberoptic
• Futek Advanced Sensor Technology a leading manufacturer of load cells, torque sensors, and pressure sensors
• Hamamatsu a leading manufacturer of photosensors
• Heidenhein maker of high precision position feedback devices (encoders)
• Honeywell a major manufacturer of a broad range of sensors: optoelectronic, Hall effect, pressure, etc.
• Interface Load Cells full line of load and torque transducers
• Junun Robotics another good source for sensors used by mobile robots
• Keyence a leading manufacturer of industrial sensors especially photoelectric and fiberoptic
• Load Cell Central provides a wide range of custom and stock load cells (educational discounts are available)
• Vishay Measurements Group a leading manufacturer of strain gages
• Optek optoelectronic sensors, Hall effect sensors
• Omron a leading manufacturer of industrial sensors, switches, relays, and automotive electronics
• Parallax, inc another good source for sensors used by mobile robots
• Renishaw leading supplier of encoders
• Schaevitz LVDT's, pressure sensors, tilt sensors, inertial sensors
• Sensor Portal an extensive 'broker' for lots of information about sensors
• Sharp lots of neat optoelectronic devices
• Sunx a leading manufacturer of industrial photoelectric, proximity, vacuum/pressure, and optical measurement sensors
• US Digital motion control components, especially encoders