In many cases, that means a faster way to choose components and speed the design-in process. And electronic-component distributors are starting to answer the call of many engineers no longer willing to work well into the evening or on weekends.

For instance, Avnet Electronics Marketing and National Semiconductor Corp. in May jointly launched the semiconductor industry's first online tool, which allows wireless-design engineers to design, simulate and order a custom prototype of a wireless loop filter evaluation board that can be shipped anywhere in the world in five business days. The key thing here is five days.

Plus, using National's Webench design tools is supposed to save engineers about 50 to 60 hours per design. Engineers can literally design a wireless prototype in minutes at National's wireless.national.com Web site, then link into Avnet to order a custom prototype. National's EasyPLL Web-based simulator tool speeds up component selection and the design-in process, while Avnet provides component sourcing and design support.

Avnet isn't the only distributor involved in Web design tools. Pioneer-Standard launched a similar design tool earlier this year, with National Semiconductor and Vishay Intertechnology.

Also designed to speed time-to-market, the version of National's Webench online tool set located at power.national.com allows engineers to design a power supply prototype in minutes, link to Pioneer's www.MyPioneer.com to fulfill the complete bill of materials and have their custom kit delivered within 24 to 72 hours. Again, the key point here is that this technique reduces the design-to-prototype cycle from weeks to days.

And it works. One user said that he was able to spec out a prototype power supply, get schematics and tolerances, and place an order for all the components required for the design in a matter of hours.

Tom Pitera, the president of Pioneer's IED organization, believes that there is no reason these types of design tools cannot be created for other types of products, to help design or component engineers gain efficiencies in the discovery, design and supply chain processes.