Product Lifecycle
Introduction
Products designed and manufactured by Phidgets Inc. often have a life span of decades.
Many of our customers integrate our products into their own systems and devices, and they depend on us to continue manufacturing a particular SKU, or a drop-in replacement, for many years.
In this guide, we will provide information about the systems in place at Phidgets Inc. surrounding product lifecycle.
Lifecycle Example - PhidgetInterfaceKit 0/0/4
As referenced in the image above, the PhidgetInterfaceKit 0/0/4 (ID:1014_0) was first released in 2002, and new revisions are still available today.
By examining the product history of this device, we can gain detailed insights into how Phidgets Inc. manages the lifecycle of all products, and how customers are supported and protected along the way.
Product History
By clicking on the Specifications tab of the latest revision (ID: 1014_3), and scrolling down to Product History, we can view the full history of this product.
There have been three revisions to the original board:
- 1014_1: Larger terminal blocks were introduced in 2008 which increased the PCB size resulting in a breaking change.
- 1014_2: The B-Type connector was changed to a mini-USB connector in 2010 resulting in a breaking change.
- 1014_3: A VINT connector was added and support for Phidget21 was dropped in 2023 resulting in a breaking change.
Breaking Changes
When a board has changed in a meaningful way, a breaking change has been made. Here are some examples of breaking changes:
- The shape, size, and/or mounting holes have changed
- Software support has changed (e.g. Phidget21 is no longer supported)
- Major specifications or performance of the product has changed
- Major features or functionality have been modified or removed
When a breaking change is made on a new revision of a product, we protect our customers in the following ways:
- Mark the older revision as Not Recommended for New Design (NRND) on our website
- Notify any high-volume customers
- Notify any customers who explicitly signed up for product notifications
- Begin protecting the stock of the older revision. Eventually, this revision of the product will be discontinued on our website, and will only be available through purchase orders
This means that even if a breaking change is introduced, existing customers will be taken care of, oftentimes for years, until they can transition to a newer revision.
Result
As we can see from the information above, the 1014 has been incredibly stable for over 20 years. This is common for all hardware designed and manufactured by Phidgets Inc.
Lifecycle Stages
When you are designing a new system that will use products from Phidgets Inc., it is important to understand the lifecycle of our products.
Products Designed by Phidgets Inc.
There are two general categories for products designed by Phidgets Inc.:
- Not recommended for new design (NRND)
- All other products
Not Recommended for New Design (NRND)
Products labeled NRND are no longer being actively developed and should be avoided for new designs.
For existing designs that include a Phidget that has transitioned to NRND, we recommend the following:
- Sign up for product notifications if you haven't already
- Contact us to receive specific information and recommendations about your product
Generally, we aim to continue producing NRND products for as long as possible, though this is dependent on component availability and customer demand.
All Other Products
If a product is not labeled NRND, we generally expect to keep the product in stock for 5-10 years.
If you are planning a new high-volume design, please contact us to discuss a particular product's roadmap.
Products From Other Suppliers
We cannot provide a guarantee or roadmap on products from other suppliers (e.g. load cells, mechanical parts, RFID tags, etc.). We always aim to keep these products in stock, however, if a product is discontinued, contact us and we will help you find alternate sourcing.
Product Notifications
We strongly recommend that you subscribe to our product notifications. By doing this, you will receive important information about your chosen product, including:
- Firmware upgrades
- Product revisions and NRND transitions
- Stock alerts
To subscribe, navigate to the product page of your chosen product. Find and click on the Sign Up for Notifications button and follow the prompts.
