MCE has launched a specialist service offering a variety of solutions to the replacement of obsolete ASICs which can obviate the need for circuit re-design and re-qualification

The replacement of obsolete application-specific integratedcircuits (ASICs) and standard ICs is a critical issue forlong-lifetime electronic products. When additional or sparecomponents are required and the semiconductor manufacturer hasmade the process obsolete, end users are faced with the problemof sourcing new components whilst trying to avoid an expensivere-design exercise, sometimes without the original design data.They may also need to test and certify that the replacementcomponent meets all the original specifications.

This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 23 October 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories

DTI funds high-temperature packaging research
The Uptemp project has been formed with support from a GBP 192,000 grant from the Technology Programme

Hoarded kit pays dividends for legacy IC designs
Carefully preserved data reading equipment built in the 1970s is allowing integrated circuit specialist Micro Circuit Engineering to win new business in the 21st century

Micro CircuitEngineering (MCE) has launched a specialist service offering avariety of solutions to this problem which can obviate the needfor circuit re-design and re-qualification.

Options availablefrom MCE include: Device replication by re-designing thecomponent from the 'net list' of its electricalfunctions, test vectors and 'known good die' (KGD -existing components which are known to work).

Recovery of designdata from archives which themselves are now on obsolete media anddata formats.

Reverse engineering by inspection of the KGD toproduce the net list.

Using customised field programmable gatearrays (FPGAs) which can replace the ASIC functions in identicalpackage footprints.

Purchasing the final production run ofdevices from the original manufacturer ('last time buy waferprocurement') which MCE can then hold in dry nitrogenstorage to ensure full functionality when the devices arerequired.

Process porting, where the device functionality istransferred to a similar, available process technology.

Thedevices can be released to a range of standards, including MilStd 883, and fully tested and certified to demonstratecompliance.

MCE Tewkesbury is a leading supplier of highreliability electronics for aerospace, industrial,telecommunications, computer and medical applications.

Itspecialises in the design and manufacture of ASICs and MCMs(multi-chip modules) and offers flexible design interface andfoundry-independent silicon sourcing.

MCE is part of theAerospace Group of Smiths Industries.