Telecommunications original component manufacturer solves problem with obsolete FPGA parts thanks to Rochester

Products in industries like the military, aerospace, and industrial markets have longer life cycles than products in other markets. That’s because organizations in these markets seek to integrate these devices into mission critical platforms and applications for decades. But technology continues advancing at a rapid pace, meaning key systems components often become obsolete.

It’s critical for military, aerospace and industrial original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to ensure they’ll have a continuous supply of these components so that they can extend their product lifecycles. It’s best to prepare for “end-of-life” (EOL) products before a product becomes obsolete.

One telecommunications OEM faced this exact scenario when a critical device reached obsolescence. A fieldprogrammable gate array (FPGA) part had been declared EOL by its original component manufacturers (OCM). The FPGA is a vital component of airborne radio systems and helicopter applications. It was no longer in production, and no replacement part was available.

This manufacturer did not want to risk purchasing a substandard or counterfeit device from an unauthorized source, and possibly endanger the safety of a mission critical application. This left the manufacturer few options for a high-quality, authorized replacement part.

Fortunately, Rochester Electronics had these devices in stock and ready to ship. Rochester, which is the world’s largest continuous source of EOL semiconductors, had partnered with the OCM to purchase EOL device inventory.

“This approach allows us to remanufacture EOL parts and replicate EOL devices – all with the OCM’s full authorization. Having a high-quality, immediate replacement for this FPGA part enabled the telecommunications manufacturer to continue production of its airborne radio systems and helicopter applications for its own customers,“ Rochester explained.

Photo source: Rochester Electronics