I imagine every electrical engineer has their own list of "comfortable" parts that they use all the time
ours are like... TIP122, IRF540, (2N/MMBT)(3904/3906/2222), UJ3N120065K3S (look, SiC high-voltage JFETs are useful things, i don't care how weird or moderately-expensive they are), IXD_614, 5-1634503-1, stackpole RNF series resistors, probably a few others that don't come to mind immediately
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@Felthry integrated li-ion chargers and boost/buck drivers but as like, a class of component.
5mm WS2812 5mm LED.
The idea of using external microUSB as power supply, maybe.
@starkatt Huh, I suppose those switching regulator chips are pretty similar in operation, at least if you get the good ones with LT part numbers (TI's ones might be too, never used them though)
we don't have any real experience with li-ion stuff though, or those particular LEDs--when we need LEDs, we tend to use whatever's cheapest in the right color from a reasonably good manufacturer (Kingbright, usually)
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@starkatt I suppose if we're counting classes of parts, we'd also have to say PCB-mount DC-DC converter modules, just because our job focuses more on "make the thing work" than "make the thing work cheaply", so spending a few dollars extra to get a guaranteed good working DC-DC converter (usually with good input-to-output isolation too!! that's hard to do yourself!!) that requires only like four pins soldered is worth it
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@starkatt and of course for those applications we usually get cheap ones in red or green or yellow
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