Component Obsolescence
This is the situation where production of an IC, connector or sensor is discontinued and the existing board design remains dependent on that part. Manufacturers usually announce a last order and last shipment date in advance; if this window is missed, the product either stops or requires a revision.
When an obsolescence notice arrives there are three paths, and all three require deciding in time.
- Last time buy: enough parts for the remaining lifetime are bought at once. Storage cost and the shelf life of the part must be considered; especially moisture-sensitive ICs must be stored in suitable packaging.
- Switching to an equivalent part: if an approved second source exists it is brought into use, otherwise a candidate part is verified.
- Revision: if no equivalent part can be found, the relevant section of the board is redesigned; this means a new board revision, a new verification round and, if needed, a software adaptation.
In long-life industrial products this risk is reduced at the design stage: as far as possible common, multi-sourced parts of industrial temperature class are selected and exotic solutions specific to a single manufacturer are avoided. This approach also extends the spare part support of the product in the field.
The context in which this term is used: Our Services