After successfully creating a new product, there is a short period of time where everything seems to be working perfectly, and there is a great feeling of pride and accomplishment. However, there is one issue that many electronic products run into after being created, and that is obsolescence.
Whether you're sourcing components for a flex or rigid-flex PCB, a custom cable assembly, or even a battery pack solution, finding suitable replacements can be critical to keeping your build cycle uninterrupted.
What Are Obsolete Components?
Obsolete components are electronic parts or mechanical elements that are no longer manufactured, sold, or supported by their original supplier. This can happen due to shifts in market demand, regulatory changes, newer technology rendering them unnecessary, or internal company decisions to consolidate product lines. These components often include connectors, integrated circuits (ICs), capacitors, displays, or microcontrollers, but virtually any part can become obsolete over time.
When a component is marked as EOL (End of Life), it signals that production will cease, and availability will become limited to existing stock or secondary distributors. This poses a major risk to product lifecycles, especially for long-running programs in aerospace, medical, or industrial sectors, where redesigns are costly or heavily regulated.
Understanding what makes a component obsolete and being proactive about identifying and mitigating helps ensure long-term product support and manufacturing continuity.
Managing Obsolete Components
Often, we focus on the performance of the product, or the degradation of the components used to determine the obsolescence of our products. Instead, the focus should be on the logistics of acquiring the components used for the device and reviewing new alternative components. In the printed circuit board world, components and laminates are often being revised, updated, and sometimes rendered obsolete. Engineers operating in this complex landscape must proactively monitor emerging technologies to ensure their designs remain effective and future-ready.
Components such asconnectors are commonly becoming obsolete, and EOL is issued by their manufacturer. In some instances, the manufacturer will be generous enough to offer a substitute for the components that are now at EOL. However, what do you do about the components that aren’t given replacements? What factors should be considered when finding a suitable substitute?
PCBA for obsolescence review.
Electrical Factors
For a component to be considered as a suitable alternative, some electrical factors must be considered. The three main factors that must be considered are the rated amperage, voltage, and power for the component. The circuit should be analyzed, and the minimum voltage, amperage, and power that will be required for that component to function should be determined before considering a component.
Once these parameters are determined, the alternative component must be at least the minimum parameters for electrical factors. Based on the function of the component, other electrical factors such as noise or heat will need to be considered. If there is a possibility that the alternative component will introduce electrical noise issues to the circuit, then it should be tested before being labeled a suitable alternative.
Mechanical Fit
Just like electrical factors, numerous mechanical factors must be considered when selecting an alternative component. The best way to limit as many mechanical issues as possible when finding a suitable substitute component is to determine the maximum size allowed. For a component such as a connector, the height, orientation, and overall area that the connector will need on a PCB will need to be considered. Once the maximum value for each of these parameters is found, the substitute component will need to be within these parameters.
PCBA with an obsolete connector.
Pinout
For most components, the pitch for each pin should match for a component to be considered as a suitable substitute. A huge issue that is often found in ICs is a change in the pinout between two similar components. Even if a component has the same package as another, different manufacturers will often have slightly different pinouts. However, this change in pinout doesn’t necessarily mean that the new component is not a suitable substitute.
For most ICs, simply rerouting will solve this issue. However, you might run into the issue of requiring a respin for current PCBs that are in inventory.
Footprint
Even if a component shares the same characteristics as another, the package of the component will often result in a different footprint. For common components such as resistors, diodes, and transistors, this issue isn’t common since many manufacturers offer a wide variety of these components in similar packages. However, in components such as connectors, this issue is often the most devastating. Even if a component, such as a connector, has the same pitch, the individual pins themselves might be smaller or larger, requiring a different size pad for each pin. This change will ultimately result in the substitute component not being capable of the original footprint.
HMI with multiple different component footprints.
Summary
When selecting a suitable substitute for a component, there are parameters that must be determined before selecting the replacement component. These parameters should be the same as when the original component was selected. Sometimes manufacturers offer a direct replacement once a component becomes EOL.
The best way to deal with obsolescence in a product is to constantly review each component that is used and keep an eye out for an EOL notice. However, if all the previously mentioned factors are considered, then there shouldn’t be an issue finding a suitable substitute for an obsolete component.
Key Takeaways
- Obsolete components are parts no longer produced or supported, commonly flagged with an End-of-Life (EOL) notice.
- Evaluate electrical, mechanical, pinout, and footprint factors when selecting a suitable replacement.
- Not all substitutes are drop-in: ICs and connectors often require rerouting or redesign.
- Use dimension and tolerance analysis to avoid interference and compatibility issues during assembly.
- Regularly review your BOM and monitor EOL announcements to stay ahead of obsolescence challenges.
