NEWBURYPORT, Mass. — Rochester Electronics is a fully-authorized continuing source for the Intel 8XC196 Family of microcontrollers. Introduced in 1982 as the Intel MCS-96 Family, these MCUs are most commonly used in motor control, modem, printer and pattern recognition applications within embedded systems. In 2007, Intel discontinued this family of microcontrollers, at which point Rochester…
NEWBURYPORT, Mass. — Rochester Electronics announced that it has entered into a continuing solution agreement with NXP Semiconductors, a global leader in High Performance Mixed Signal electronics. This new agreement will provide customers a continuing supply of end-of-life products discontinued by NXP Semiconductors. As products reach the end of their normal life cycle, there are…
Information about how the gray market works has always been murky. Industry people say it's the unauthorized sale of components. But who exactly is doing that selling? And who is doing the buying? Well, that's what makes it gray. It sounds like every link in the supply chain contributes to the gray market at some…
People worry about freshness when it comes to produce and other food stuffs, but also, apparently, when it comes to electronics components. Historically, OEMs have been concerned that components are no longer “fresh,” that the operation of the components may degrade over time. Some demanded that components, and especially semiconductors, be marked with the date…
As I pointed out in an earlier blog, the pace of component obsolescence is accelerating. This is prompting partners in the electronics supply chain to pay more attention to product lifecycle management (PLM). Without getting too technical, PLM is the stuff suppliers and customers have to worry about if an electronic component becomes obsolete. In…
Many electronics companies need components that, for one reason or another, have been discontinued by the manufacturer. At the same time, green legislation can make finding the right parts difficult. Equipment with long lifecycles, such as medical systems, military and defense equipment, and industrial machinery, often needs repairs that require a component that was made…
In today's world of information and misinformation, choosing an independent distributor can be challenging, whether you are an EMS provider, OEM, or contract manufacturer. Moreover, after you select the independent distributors for your approved vendor list (AVL), how do you know they are still the right companies three, six, or nine months later? The answer…
Hello, and welcome back to another installment in the long-running Top 25 Distributors list, brought to you by EBN and hosted this year by our colleagues at EDN. As you’ll see from the annual list, not too much changed amid the electronic components distribution landscape in 2012. Some companies lost revenue ground, and some gained…
US legislation has compelled a stepped-up interest in preventing counterfeit electronic parts from slipping into the supply chain. It has also raised more questions than it has answered. For many dealing with the enormous task of tracking, reporting, and resolving issues associated with potential counterfeit parts, there is a collective hope that 2013 will bring…