On Semi EOL notice

[gbono]

Sad to see so many TO-92 packaged parts going away

[nevetslab]

Another brilliant move by corporate America. Toshiba already pulled that stunt, with the attitude that if you're not building products with surface mount parts, we don't want you as a customer. There is NO SUCH THING as servicing products that contain TO-92 parts, regardless of the cost of the product. LOL! We already lost National Semi years ago. The semiconductor 'pirates' will make out like bandits, only they don't sell in small quantities. Having to go to ebay to buy 2N4401's, 4403's, 2904's, 3906's, BC parts, etc.......makes me ill. As more semi mfgr's follow suit, I'd sure hate to be left with the only option as NTE!

[gbono]

Check out this company Linear Systems || Home They still build bipolars and FETs and they are in the US. No I don't own stock in them - but would probably buy some if they ever went public (I hope that never happens).......

[J M Fahey]

I bet somebody will still continue making TO92 stuff, at least the most popular, general purpose ones, for many years.

Rereading this, looks that the real problem runs much deeper, they confess to not selling directly to anybody, not even to Distributors, but only to some monster reseller Corporation, this Korean KEC .

Ok, their bad, USA has lot yet another battle in WW3 .... or is is WW4?

If the market is still there .... and I bet it is, even 10% or 5% of SMD market still means billions of U$ .

What's small peanuts to ON, Toshiba, Vishay, whatever, may be a tantalizing market for smaller fish.

I bet we'll start to see such transistors under "mystery brands" , mainly Asian but I wouldn't be surprised at some East European or even Russian one doing it.

After all, the chip/die is exactly the same, only encapsulation differs.

Remember that on one side, Sprague capacitors disappeared ... on the other side capacitor brands such as Trec or Suntec started appearing ... fact is popular value caps never disappeared from the market ... guess something similar will happen here.

[gbono]

After all, the chip/die is exactly the same, only encapsulation differs.

Yes but once the assembly equipment (and know how) is gone that's the end. TO-92 still lives but it is getting harder to find devices and clever cross referencing is needed to find quality, cost effective solutions. The other issue I see with new "suppliers" is the lack of quality control.

[J M Fahey]

True, most models will disappear, but I guess a few basic ones will stay.

Remember most tubes dissappeared, hundreds or thousands of types, but most popular 12A*7 , 6*6 , EL*4 and a couple more kept on.

Personally I centered (it's all I stock) on 6 TO92 types which I use for *anything* : BC546/556 , 2N5401/5551 , MPSA42/92 .
Don't even *think* about getting anything else.

Different pinout? Asian types? Just twist legs a little.

I think a similar basic core will stay, one way or another.

[gbono]

[QUOTE=J Personally I centered (it's all I stock) on 6 TO92 types which I use for *anything* : BC546/556 , 2N5401/5551 , MPSA42/92 .
Don't even *think* about getting anything else.

[/QUOTE]

All but one of those TO-92 part types are obsolete. I'm going to stock up now..............