Critical Thoughts on Embedded Sustainment & Obsolescence
Critical Thoughts is where we share hard-won insights from the field. It’s not a blog—it’s a working record of what we’ve learned supporting sustainment, managing obsolescence, and partnering with OEMs on legacy challenges that don’t fit the usual models.
These are the strategic, technical, and sometimes messy realities behind keeping embedded systems mission-ready over the long haul.
On one of the blogs I read, someone commented: “If you’re concerned about counterfeits in obsolete components… don’t worry about to-be-discontinued components — just design them in, and buy what you need to support the product anyway. Then you won’t have to worry about counterfeits.” On the surface and if you are only worried about…
Is there a downside to new technology innovation? We all love and encourage innovation, but what is the hidden cost? Critical embedded applications in the Defense and Medical industry are a great example of where this question comes into play. Both these applications have people’s lives relying on them, and both require extended life cycles…
The recent reports concerning the National Defense Authorization Act 2012 continue to shake up things in the Defense industry. This past week was the SMTA & CALCE Symposium on Counterfeit Electronic Parts and Electronic Supply Chain and overall there was a strong showing across the board. Everyone brought great examples of how industry players are…
Congratulations to all of our winners! There once was a winner of quizzes With answers and not many misses. When claiming their gift, they said, “Which is it?” “Oh look! What a great iPod this is” (OK…ok… we are obviously much better at managing obsolescence than writing limericks*). While most people think of birthdays and…
You may not know about Brooks Stevens, and today is his birthday. Clifford Brooks Stevens, born June 7, 1911, was an American industrial designer of home furnishings, appliances, automobiles and motorcycles— as well as a graphic designer and stylist. At the time of his death, he was considered “a major force in industrial design.” If…
Sometimes we can get a little carried away with our work here at GDCA. From embedded boards to trains, we love talking about all things legacy and EOL; and we know that no matter which industry we pick, there is a lot riding on keeping “obsolete” boards and systems running smoothly. Through the past 25…
1987 takes us back: a dozen eggs were 65 cents, a gallon of gas was 89 cents, you and the family may have tuned-in to watch the premiere of a show called The Simpsons. The last 25 years have been exciting for everyone. Technology has evolved at an amazing rate, and we are honored to…
The past few decades has seen exponential advancement in circuit board technologies and related industries. This unprecedented technological growth has devastated many older critical embedded applications and their manufacturers, with OEMs pushing for new technologies. In contrast, older technologies become harder to support. Pre-stocking has historically been used as the solution to the obsolescence problem,…
Like the image to the side, modern combat vehicle electronics can resemble a bowl of hardware spaghetti. Different “bolt-on” devices and adaptors are stitched together by multiple suppliers who may be using different standards and interfaces. With barely enough room for a soldier wearing body armor, integration and interoperability have become key concerns. Working with…
Defense Maintenance & Sustainment Summit (DMS 2012) February 27-29, 2012, | La Jolla, California It was my first time attending WBR’s Defense Maintenance & Sustainment Summit, and it was fascinating to hear about best practices from the many government attendees and their commercial partners. The focus was CBM (condition-based-maintenance), a sustainment approach that involves installing…