For engineers and technicians seeking to replace components in legacy equipment, understanding product naming conventions is critical. Countless spin-offs and acquisitions in the semiconductor sector complicate the task — and those with the institutional knowledge needed to decipher the alphabet soup of prefixes, suffixes, and numerical codes that comprise product names are retiring at a rapid clip.
Partnering with a distributor that specialises in older and obsolete semiconductors not only provides access to OCM-authorised, hard-to-source parts, but also enables customers to tap into a reservoir of institutional knowledge that ensures they get precisely the component they need, every time.
What’s in a name?
Short answer: A lot of other names. The semiconductor manufacturing family tree is a complicated one. Consider onsemi’s portfolio. Initially, onsemi employed a structured naming system, with parts starting with “N” followed by a letter indicating the product family — NC for analog, NL for logic, and so forth. However, exceptions emerged early, particularly with products inherited from Motorola that often began with “MC” (Motorola spun off ON Semiconductor in 1999, which was subsequently rebranded onsemi).
When onsemi acquired Cherry Semiconductor in 2000, the complexity increased. The subsequent acquisition of AMI added further layers of intricate part numbering. After 25 years and 13 acquisitions, onsemi’s portfolio is a mosaic of naming conventions, compounded by special prefixes and suffixes that denote manufacturing site transfers or customer-specific variants.
It should come as no surprise that decoding part numbers is one of the common challenges faced when sourcing obsolete semiconductors. Myriad questions arise: What does a prefix or suffix signify? How does one part differ from another? Can Part B be substituted for Part A? Expertise in naming conventions is invaluable. For instance, understanding a Fairchild Semiconductor flow code (also acquired by onsemi), decrypting an “-L2xxxx” suffix, or distinguishing between an NCV and an NCP product requires intimate familiarity with historical product lines. Such knowledge ensures the right component is selected for specific applications, avoiding costly errors in design or production, along with potential equipment failures.
Deep legacy product knowledge is invaluable
Semiconductor professionals with decades of involvement in the industry have deep knowledge about the nuances of legacy products that isn’t easily replicated. The Flip Electronics team has years of experience across a multitude of vendors, so if customers find themselves looking for a needle in a haystack, frustrated in their search for a specific component, or concerned about specs, we can help. With Flip, technical and procurement teams can confidently select the right production or replacement parts, ensuring compatibility and performance even as the semiconductor industry continues to evolve.
Eamonn Ahearne, Director of Supplier Business Development, Flip Electronics
