Recently I wanted to make a custom M.2->SATA device, using PCIe switches and PCIe-SATA chips.
Then I knew manufacturers like asmedia and jmicron don’t have publicly available datasheets, nor chips in large online distributors.
Can you even get them as an individual?
I.e., without a plan to mass produce?
Disclamer: I have experience buying components from mouser/digikey/lcsc and building PCBs with kicad and jlcpcb - only as a hobbyist.
I’ve had luck in other industries by using my LLC and company email to pretend to be fr fr and order ‘samples’. Maybe that could work here?
I’m sure that’ll work, but I don’t want to get in legal trouble afterwards.
As long as you aren’t violating any signed NDA’s for the products you order, I don’t think you need to worry about that.
It’s more with the company I’m forking for, let’s just say they really don’t like such things.
Ahh yes, that is a reasonable concern.
I would suggest using “google dorks” that allow you to filter search results. I found that adding “filetype:pdf” tends to surface PDFs that should not be public.
Manufacturers may not publish specs, but their supply chain / service providers / customers may leave them online.
e.g. this is for the wifi chip on the Raspberry PI
Thanks!
