"Obsolete" PIC parts

Perhaps try to *buy* them? E.g., Mouser lists the PIC16F628A as "7038 in stock, 4 wk lead time (for additional pieces)"

First, Microchip rarely retires devices (especially ones that they originated rather than from acquisitions), rather the price does not decrease so that nobody with two neurons to rub together would specify the part for a new design when there are better alternatives at their fingertips with a simple parametric search.

Secondly, for really long-in-the-tooth products, you'll see a notice such as this one for the ancient OTP* (ugh) PIC17C756A:

"Please consider this device: PIC18F6520. View Side By Side Comparison A newer device is available. Please consider PIC18F6520"

Thirdly, as for ones that are actually obsolete (eg. 27C64) say so "Obsolete Device" on the datasheet.

Finally, you can also search the process change and EOL notifications for all devices wit-out even logging in. Eg.

• why is Burr-Brown (sorry, TI) introducing new OTP devices in 2015? With an ARM core for goodness sake.

--sp

Actually that's fairly comforting. OTP is good for preventing APT firmware hacks and (assuming it's fuses and not shielded EPROM) also good for the high-temperature lifetime.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

I used that part BITD--it was the CPU in the Footprints sensor. It had, beyond any possible comparison, the buggiest compiler I've ever encountered (Microchip C17). (*) The HiTech one was vastly better.

It still gives me a shudder.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

(*) To be fair, they were pretty good about fixing bugs like the off-by-one placement in the linker, but I mean, really.

Doesn't say obsolete at Digikey or on the datasheet.

I don't know how good Microchip is in letting people know early on when something is "not recommened for new designs" but I'd hope they are just as honest about that as others.

If ever in doubt about a part my next step is this, and here one finds substantial five-digit stock quantities which is usually quite reassuring:

Is his PN complete? He maybe can't find the package he wants?

Digikey even has 9,311 of them stocked in the Flintstonian DIP package. No tube sockets though :-)

Data retention is specified as 10 years (over temperature). Same as the 1000 cycle EEPROM on the same chip. Not grandpa's 27C32 EPROM cells and not particularly comforting to me.

--sp

No way is that going obsolete any time soon- it's a very popular part, albeit older than the other two. You can even still buy the non-A version which has only minor differences: "[Mature Product. Please consider PIC16F628A family]".

Microchip has 73,000+/85,000+ of the 'A' version ready for sale (depending on package) with additional units available October 7.

I would have no (availablility) qualms about designing any of those into a new design.

--sp

Well, when the black hats take over your fridge, you'll wish the manufacturer had used OTP MCUs. ;)

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

Sure they have them, for tubes like the 50L6.

For example:

;-)

--sp

But that's not ceramic or at least bakelite, unlikely to take the heat well :-)

• Am new kid on this block..so cannot know about pricing changes,and AFAIK cannot discover if a given part is "better". And the simple parametric search shows parts that he search quacker sez is obsolete (but only if that word is included in the search term (ref: see my last paragraph).

• Again,am new kid on block so do not know which parts are long in tooth. Where does one find those notices?

• Does that mean if a datasheet does NOT say "Obsolete Device" in is datasheet, it is OK?

• That shows ONE part; there are no others? Note
  formatting link
  sows NOTHING.

Thanks!

No problem on package,and it seems that one can use an incomplete number to find it (eg: 16f628).

Horrors! No thermally stabilized FETs? What will Shakespeare think?

THANKS!!!!!

Parametric search at distie. RAM, program memory, peripherals, then enter quantity and search by decreasing price. If it's a really old part (eg 16F84) it will have a high price in proportion to the features.

Don't pick a part because it appears simpler than the alternatives- that usually means it's just old and will cost more to boot.

On the manufacturer's page for the individual device. For example, the PIC16C84 says "end of life". Please consider this device: PIC16F84A or PIC16F627A. View Side By Side Comparison

The latter is the lower-memory version of the '628A.

As I said, they rarely discontinue parts. The windowed ceramic EPROM parts are gone but most of the OTP plastic packaged parts (same die) are still available.

Well, it's not *obsolete*. Obsolescent/End of Life shows up on the manufacturer's part page, like this one:

Just because they're not EOL doesn't mean they're the best part for the job- the 741 is still listed as 'active' at some manufacturers.

--sp

On Wed, 29 Jul 2015 11:35:30 -0700 in sci.electronics.design, Joerg wrote,

You mean ceramic?