The problem: We hated the tedious work of choosing components: copying specs into spreadsheets, taking screenshots from multiple datasheets, and cross-referencing parameters across manufacturers.

What we built:

- A comparison tool that displays all relevant electrical/mechanical specs along with the performance curves in a single view

- An alternates tool that identifies equivalent parts based on a reference component

We think this helps because: Instead of juggling multiple browser tabs and Excel sheets, you can quickly verify if a part meets your requirements and find alternates when your current part is out of stock or EOL. We found it also helps during the design phase to readily compare specs and find better parts.

Try it out at www.get-merlin.com - we'd love your feedback, especially:

- What information are we missing that you need?

- What component types would be most valuable?

- How does your team currently handle component selection?

You can use the comparison tool for free, and we have a 14 day trial of the alternates tool available now.