NEWS
conducted by Maersk, 100 percent of respondents stated that they had faced goods.
Component obsolescence is a big factor in supply chain security. In fact, research by Z2Data found some 473,910 parts became obsolete in 2023. Though this is a drop from previous years, with 528,546 parts becoming obsolete in 2021 and a staggering 756,087 in 2022, it is clear that obsolescence continues to be problematic.
Minimising obsolescence risks is easier said than done. The accelerating rate of technological progress means that as chips become more and more advanced, demand for older designs drop off. Manufacturers therefore need to take a more proactive approach. Identifying obsolescence risks early is one of the best ways to enhance supply chain security and minimise any problems on the production line.
Standard ICs
As semiconductor use has grown, so too has the complexity of its applications. about anything, ranging from smart home devices and mobile phones to vehicles and industrial robots.
However, manufacturing IC devices to meet the demands of these increasingly demanding applications proves to be a challenge. Commonly, freely programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are used. Since FPGAs is possible to customise these standard ICs to the needs of your application. For simple applications, FPGA reprogramming may be
However, for advanced and more sophisticated processes, FPGA performance may be lacking. With no choice of hardware within, there is a limit to how much the performance of an FPGA can be optimised.
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The demand for certain types of skill is also seeing a shift in the industry. From a semiconductor perspective, AI and machine learning knowledge is beginning to overtake demand for system architecture knowledge.
A custom solution
solutions, industries should make use of custom devices when required. These come in the form of an , or ASIC. As entirely bespoke devices, an ASIC is than the customer needing to tweak their
As a result, the ASIC offers much higher performance than would be possible with a
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standard IC. Both power consumption and size reductions can be achieved through custom IC design. It also allows for a choice of communication protocols, memory and processor units for a solution fully tailored to ASICs can also help to protect against the risk of obsolescence. Production of a standard IC can be halted at any time at the manufacturer’s discretion, but the approach with an ASIC is different. With an ASIC, the manufacturer will endeavour to ensure continuous IC supply. There are several different ways to achieve this, including the preservation of wafers in dry nitrogen cabinets as well as porting of the design onto a new silicon process. Choice of route is mutually determined between the manufacturer and customer for a solution that works for all parties.
The electronics industry continues to these challenges come opportunities for innovation and growth. By addressing current concerns across the manufacturing process, the industry can continue to be at the forefront of modern development while securing the UK’s national and commercial security.
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