Critical Link prides itself on providing long product lifecycles and production availability for our System on Modules. Our first SOM family, the MityDSP-6711F, was developed more than 10 years ago and is still in full production today.
For new SOM designs, we work only with silicon partners who have a strong commitment to ensuring the key components we select have at least a decade — and preferably 15 or more years — of availability.
Occasionally, we encounter obsolescence issues on our SOMs: die shrinks on memory components, PCNs from component manufacturers. Critical Link updates and validates the SOM maintaining both electrical and code compatibility.
Why is obsolescence such a focus for us? Because our customers, and the markets we serve demand it. Our customers’ products are typically available for 10+ years – because it’s important to them, it’s important to us. Our business also depends on it. Obsoleting a module means we risk the loss of each customer using that module – and we find it far easier to keep existing customers satisfied than to find new ones.
Key facts about our System on Module availability:
Critical Link SOMs have 10-15+ years availability at product release, compared to 5, 7, or 8 year availability projections of other SOM manufacturers.- Our original MityDSP (C6711 based) is still in full production today after its original release in 2004. During its life we have addressed package changes in the DSP, addressed die shrinks in the memory components, and other required changes all while maintaining software and hardware compatibility.
- Critical Link will only cease production of a module if the central component around which the module is designed becomes obsolete and a reasonable alternative is not available. We manage other parts obsolescence (RAM, NAND, etc) as required over the life of the module with each change documented through Product Change Notifications, which are available on our technical support wikis.
- Should a product become obsolete, customers are notified a year in advance, giving adequate time to plan end of life buys and ease transition to a newer module.
- Design engineering and application engineering support is available from early design and development throughout the life of your product – the entire company stands behind each of our products.
View production status, original release dates, and key specs for all our module families.