The EEE Parts Problem: Memories, Power Parts and Obsolescence
Beyond processors, why do ordinary-looking electronic parts delay satellites?
Chapter summary
a satellite board needs hundreds of electrical, electronic and electromechanical (EEE) parts, voltage regulators, memories, oscillators, capacitors, relays, and each must be qualified for space.
Key takeaways
- 1
Many are made by a single supplier on an old process line, and when that line closes the part becomes obsolete, forcing a redesign.
- 2
The problem is less a single shortage than a long tail: any one of hundreds of part numbers can hold up a board.
- 3
Programmes that plan for it buy lifetime stocks and design with second sources; those that do not discover the problem when a part goes on allocation.
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Radiation-Hardened Processors and Space-Grade Electronics
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