Ready for anything?

Like the Boy Scouts, buyers should always be prepared. Planning ahead for obsolescence ensures a continuous supply of genuine devices, says director of marketing, Rochester Electronics, George Karalias
In today’s world of advancing technologies, products rapidly upgrade and evolve into more powerful next-generation versions that provide new features with increased functionality in smaller and lighter packages – out with the old, and in with the new. Semiconductors are a driving source behind many of these advancements and as older devices are discontinued by semiconductor manufacturers to make way for the next-generation of products, what happens to users of the 'mature' technology? Many customers are left in a difficult position as their supply chains are interrupted and they no longer have a reliable component source to meet ongoing production, maintenance and repair requirements.
Every product and technology has a life cycle, however, the typical end-of-life (EOL) schedule for a semiconductor manufacturer does not always support the continuing needs of all customers. The fact that a manufacturer declares a semiconductor obsolete does not mean there is no longer demand for that part. To meet this continuing demand, end-users of obsolete semiconductors – particularly those dealing in longer-term product programs such as aerospace, military, medical and communications systems – need to put a plan in place that effectively provides for continuing production without interruption or cost overrun and to protect themselves against the risk of obtaining counterfeit or sub-standard parts.

Sourcing solutions
When an EOL announcement is made, customers typically have few options:
Drop-in replacement - the ideal solution for most customers would be to find a drop-in replacement part for the semiconductor that is being discontinued. A pin-for-pin replacement, supplied by a trusted source, enables a customer to bypass virtually all of the obstacles that other options carry.
Last time buy - if funding is available (and that can be a big 'if'), a customer can choose to make a last time buy of the semiconductor device from the original manufacturer. Estimating how many devices to purchase can be a daunting task, as a customer needs to project the product demand for the life cycle of its end product. A last time buy can create other difficulties, from the impact on short-term cash flow for the initial purchase, to the expense of properly storing the newly-purchased inventory for years to come.
Grey market - the increasing need for obsolete or discontinued semiconductors has led to the proliferation of grey market practices. Customers desperate for a critical semiconductor device often find themselves with little choice other than dealing with brokers on the grey market. An unauthorized broker however, may not be the most reliable business partner, as there is no guarantee that devices procured through grey market networks are genuine devices that have been appropriately stored and handled to ensure quality and reliability. There is also no guarantee as to the continuous availability and consistent pricing of the devices.
Re-design - if a drop-in replacement cannot be procured from the original manufacturer or even from a broker, one option is to redesign the system to eliminate the part, or use a different device in its place. A redesign can be costly not only from engineering man-hours and the purchasing of new devices, but also from production downtime as the new system goes through re-testing and re-qualification processes. For many customers, a re-design may not be a feasible option due to costs and the lead time associated with system certification.

Partner wisely
Another option that customers can now select to avoid the obstacles of a re-design, last time buy or the grey market is to partner with Rochester Electronics. As an authorised source for discontinued semiconductors, Rochester serves as both a contractually licensed manufacturer and authorised distributor of semiconductors to provide a continuous supply of qualified parts for programs across a range of industries.
As original semiconductor manufacturers discontinue devices each month, Rochester engages with them to acquire the remaining inventory, including packaged devices, finished devices, die, selected intellectual property, tooling, test programs and test equipment, thus extending the life of these semiconductor series. This transfer of technology assures there is no interruption of authorised and certified devices in the supply chain.
Through these strategic relationships, Rochester provides after-market support by offering more than 20,000 Rochester-manufactured devices, a wafer bank in excess of 10 billion die and a finished device inventory with more than five billion parts, all of which are securely packaged and stored in environmentally-controlled warehouses. All of Rochester’s finished device and die inventory can be directly traced to the original manufacturer or to a specific Rochester manufacturing lot.
It is important for customers to have a proactive mindset for the inevitable end-of-life announcement of critical semiconductor components. It is not enough to act on EOL notification at the time that a semiconductor needs to be replaced in critical equipment. OEMs, particularly those selling into aviation, aerospace and military markets, should plan ahead for part obsolescence, perhaps even as early as the time that a semiconductor is designed into the equipment. There are only two fail-safe ways to ensure that the semiconductor devices purchased are legitimate, buying directly from the original manufacturer or enlisting the help of authorised distributors and manufacturers.
Planning a partnership with one of these authorised sources, such as Rochester, ensures a continuous stream of genuine devices.