It is estimated that 60% of integrated circuits currently in use will become obsolete within 5 years, and yet product lifetimes are often expected to exceed 25 years.

GE Aviation's record regarding obsolescence is unparalleled because we have very carefully chosen the foundries from across the world with which we work. As an example, GE Aviation is still able to source 3 micron gate arrays which were designed twenty years ago.

Our customers typically require us to replace an obsolete EPLD, FPGA or other manufacturer's ASIC, whilst retaining the same footprint and pin-out. Sometimes, we are asked to increase or modify the functionality, and are frequently asked to guarantee component longevity for a decade or longer. We have accomplished these requirements using a variety of techniques, including digital ASICs, mixed signal ASICs, die banking and customised FPGAs (where an FPGA die is custom-packaged to suit the application).

We can retrieve a customer's original design data from most obsolete media or data formats.

However, GE Aviation does occasionally have to change or discontinue legacy products. The folders below contain details of the latest Product Change Notices (PCN) and Product Discontinuance Notices.