News: Rochester Electronics
Obsolescence planning keeps critical transport systems running for decades
“Transport infrastructure is moving towards smarter, greener, more connected systems”
Rochester Electronics’ technical sales manager – Europe, Chris Perkins, outlines why proactive obsolescence planning is essential for maintaining the safety-critical electronic systems underpinning modern transport infrastructure.
T
he transport sector is asking ever more from electronic systems. From road vehicles and rail systems to charging networks and traffic infrastructure, semiconductors are central to electrification, connectivity, safety and service availability. Design engineers and procurement professionals must therefore work together to ensure electronic systems remain available and maintainable once deployed. Transport assets may be expected to operate for decades, while many electronic devices have much shorter commercial lifecycles. This mismatch can create long-term availability risks for applications ranging from braking systems and signalling cabinets to ADAS platforms and connected roadside equipment.
Electrification is driving higher-voltage power electronics, while digitisation is adding sensors, wireless communications and edge processing. Automation is also moving more decision-making into local compute hardware. Each development can improve performance and uptime but also increases bill-of-materials complexity and lifecycle management requirements.
Chris Perkins said: “Transport infrastructure is moving towards smarter, greener, more connected systems. Semiconductors now must handle higher power, more data and stricter safety systems while being smaller and more efficient.”
The gap between asset and component life
Transport infrastructure can be designed for 20 to 50 years, with stable form factors and long qualification cycles. Semiconductor lifecycles, by contrast, can be significantly shorter. In rail, for example, a microcontroller reaching end- of-life on a 10-year-old high-speed train can create a significant maintenance challenge. The problem is not simply finding another component. In heavily regulated systems, replacing a single semiconductor may
6 September 2026
require wider system validation or recertification, bringing significant cost and potentially lengthy timescales. “In long design
cycles, by the time a chip is fully qualified for a transport application, the semiconductor manufacturer might already have announced its withdrawal,” Perkins explained. ADAS illustrates the challenge, combining processors, sensors, memory and security components with demanding safety requirements. Even apparently simple infrastructure, such as traffic lights, contains network controllers, power supplies and signal-processing devices that can become obsolete long before the physical infrastructure.
The risk increases further when hardware and software are closely coupled. A component replacement can trigger revalidation, recertification, software and firmware changes, as well as documentation updates.
Supply pressure adds another risk Current semiconductor supply pressures are adding another dimension. Perkins highlighted the impact of AI infrastructure demand on memory supply, describing the situation as “ramageddon”.
He said: “This shift has stalled the supply of standard automotive grade DRAM that’s used in digital cockpits, ADAS and infotainment systems. Prices for these components are projected to rise 70 to 100 per cent this year.” For long-life transport systems, the issue goes beyond temporary shortages. A relatively small component can determine whether an established product remains viable. As OEMs add more software, connectivity and local processing, exposure to semiconductor lifecycle changes increases.
Sustainable engineering therefore needs to Components in Electronics
consider durability, maintainability, repairability and upgradeability. Extending electronic system life can help avoid premature redesign, unnecessary recertification and disruption to long-life assets.
Making obsolescence
management a design discipline Obsolescence management should be a cross-functional responsibility involving engineering, procurement and manufacturing, ideally coordinated by a dedicated obsolescence manager.
“Obsolescence is not a procurement issue alone,” Perkins said. “Component life should be embedded in a product’s full lifecycle, from design concept to bill-of-materials review, not when an end-of-life notice lands.”
He identifies three pillars of best practice: 1 Proactive monitoring
Review every critical bill-of-materials line, establish years to end-of-life and classify components according to lifecycle health. Early identification provides time to qualify alternatives, secure stock or plan a controlled redesign.
2 Longevity-led design
Open architectures and hardware abstraction can help separate software from specific hardware. If a processor becomes obsolete, the objective is to reduce the need for extensive software redevelopment. Modular architectures can also make future substitution less disruptive.
3 Mitigation
Options include authorised alternative sources, bridge buys and form, fit and function replacements. Redesign may remain necessary but should not automatically be the first response where other authorised options exist.
Extending component lifecycles Rochester Electronics supports customers through critical parts analysis, comparing critical component lists with available inventory, manufacturing capabilities and potential alternatives. Sometimes the solution is not a new design, but identifying a complete part number, suffix variation or packaging option.
Perkins emphasised that Rochester is “not just a parts warehouse” but “an authorised manufacturer and distributor of electronic components”. The company stores more than 12 billion die, providing the potential to manufacture components beyond their original commercial availability.
Where devices need to be built from die, production times typically range from three to six months, depending on complexity and allocation. This reinforces the value of early lifecycle monitoring.
For transport OEMs, obsolescence planning should therefore form part of the sustainable engineering process. Reviewing critical components early, monitoring lifecycle status, considering architectural flexibility and engaging an authorised partner can provide more options before an end-of-life notification or supply shortage becomes an immediate problem.
www.rocelec.com
Originally published by Sustainable Engineering, Jon Barrett, featuring Chris Perkins
www.cieonline.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
