Obsolescence management in electronics
A component discontinuation rarely hits a project at a convenient time. MHD assesses your bill of materials (BOM) with methods to IEC 62402, secures critical line items through second sources and, where needed, takes on the redesign after the discontinuation. The groundwork for this is laid during component selection.
What a component discontinuation sets off
Discontinued or hard-to-source components lead to delays, EMC problems, costly redesigns or additional qualification effort. In safety-critical and approval-critical applications, even small changes can have serious consequences for schedule and cost. One example from practice: a 7-cent component caused a six-figure loss.
Many of these problems originate in the schematic and in component selection. That is where MHD starts.
Obsolescence management to IEC 62402 begins with component selection
Lifecycle risks can be recognised in the schematic already. MHD therefore assesses the BOM during schematic design, with methods to IEC 62402 applied to PCB(A) design and series development. Second source, footprint and alternatives count in the selection. Typical obsolescence traps are kept out of the design this way.
The reasons for every component decision are recorded in the design file. Months later, the reasoning behind every choice is still on record.
- BOM risk assessment: with methods from IEC 62402, applied to PCB(A) design and series development
- Second sources: second source, footprint and alternatives for critical line items
- Design file: reasoning behind component decisions, documented in auditable form
Classifying PCN and PDN
Manufacturers announce changes and discontinuations through PCN (product change notice) and PDN (product discontinuation notice). Which of these notices is genuinely critical depends on the component's function in your circuit and on whether the application is safety-critical or approval-critical.
The BOM risk assessment provides the yardstick. A notice can be recognised early, classified and assessed. Discontinuations follow a structured process.
Redesign after discontinuation
If a component has already been discontinued, the task is the replacement and its consequences for schematic, footprint, layout and EMC behaviour, and in approval-critical applications for the qualification effort too. MHD carries out the redesign in Altium. Immunity and radiated emissions are designed in from the first trace. MHD converts legacy data from other E-CAD systems.
Critical modules and the design architecture stay with Dr Häuser. Prototypes run through the partner network, where needed with a test plan for the EMC laboratory and support for the EMS provider.
The outcome
The outcome is a BOM whose risks are known, and a defined procedure for the next discontinuation.
- BOM risk assessment to IEC 62402
- Second sources and alternatives for critical line items
- Auditable design file with the reasons for every component decision
- In case of a redesign: revised Altium project including manufacturing data
Obsolescence management at MHD
The questions that come up most often in initial consultations about this service.
When does obsolescence management in electronics start to pay off?
From component selection onwards. Many later discontinuation problems originate in the schematic. That is where lifecycle risks can be recognised and reduced strategically.
What does IEC 62402 mean for my project?
The standard provides the methods MHD uses to assess lifecycle risks and handle discontinuations in a structured way, applied to PCB(A) design and series development. Dr Häuser co-developed the seminar on obsolescence management run by the FED (Fachverband Elektronik-Design e.V., the German electronics design association).
Do you also assess bills of materials from designs created in-house?
Yes. The basis is your BOM and your circuit data. You receive a risk assessment of the line items and second sources for the critical ones.
How do you handle PCN and PDN?
The yardstick is the component's function in your circuit and whether the application is safety-critical or approval-critical. From that follows whether a change is critical and what action it demands.
A component has already been discontinued. How does the redesign work?
Select the replacement, adapt schematic and layout, assess EMC behaviour and qualification effort alongside. Critical modules stay with Dr Häuser; prototypes run through the partner network. For an initial assessment, task, quantity and deadline are enough.
The risk assessment of your BOM
For an initial assessment, details of task, quantity and deadline are enough.