As you know, component shortages are impacting product lead times around the world. Advanced smart battery packs and chargers are no exception. Over recent years, electronic circuit functionality has been consolidated into smaller ICs that can manage a lot of functionality into small, easy-to-use single ICs. Unfortunately, these ICs are single-sourced ICs with lead times stretching beyond 80 weeks. These extremely long lead times can kill projects and companies. In this webinar, we reviewed methods that we use to minimize or eliminate these single-sourced components used in battery pack manufacturing. Along with ways to layout circuit boards to allow component flexibility preventing redesigns, and methods to use firmware to reduce dependencies on sole-sourced parts. For more information on our custom battery pack solutions, visit https://www.epectec.com/batteries.

1. Manufacturing That Eliminates Risk & Improves Reliability
Dealing with Component Shortages That
Impact Battery Packs Designs
2.18.22

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Agenda
 How to find parts and be competitive in these times of component
shortages
– Finding the original part is most desirable. To do this:
• You need to consider using another contract manufacturer to quote your
boards
• Simplify part number on BOMs
• Expand your distributor base
 Finding substitution parts second best option
– Use different grade components if possible
– Adjust your design to accept different shape substitution parts

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Agenda (continued)
 Redesign
– How to work around single-sourced ICs with long lead times, and how to
make new and future designs more resilient to supply chain issues
– We’ll cover methods that we use to minimize or eliminate the use of these
single-sourced components
– Methods to layout circuit boards to allow component flexibility, preventing
redesigns
– Use of firmware to reduce dependencies on sole-sourced parts

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Your suppliers or contract manufacturing partners
are giving you the bad news of long lead times.
Now what?

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Find Another Contract Manufacture To Quote Your Boards
 Some larger CMs have BOM reserves and can:
– Reallocate and sell parts from other customers
– Some have CM to CM relationships to be able to source parts

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Your CM can’t get parts.
Now What?

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Deep Dive into Finding the Original Parts
 Expand your distributor base
– You might be used to using only a hand full of distributors
– Do a more thorough search for the original part you are using
– Use findchips.com or similar part finding websites
– Use caution when using brokers; counterfeit parts can be an issue

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Simplify Part Number on BOMs
 Simplify part number on BOMs
– Many part numbers include
packaging information
• e.g. bq34Z100PW vs PWR,
reels or tubes

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All possibilities of finding the original part
have been exhausted.
Now what?

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Find Substitution Parts
 In most designs, only a handful of parts have tight tolerances. Most
other parts in a design may have very loose tolerances and can be
easily substituted
 Identify substitution parts and use Silicon Expert siliconexpert.com or
other websites for crosses

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You were able to find some original parts and
substitutes using the first 2 techniques, but you still
can't find all the long lead item parts on your BOM.
Now what?

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Different Grade of Components
 Confirm your design can accept
different grade of components
 Speed: Does your product run at low
speeds, but a higher speed parts are
called out?
 Temperature: Is your product used
indoors, but your design calls out for
extended temperature range industrial
or military parts?

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Still no luck in finding the correct part?
It is time to make this more painful.

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Different Shape Substitution Parts
 Adjust your design to accept different shape original or substitution parts
 Design in multiple footprints for the same part to provide substitution
flexibility
– Separate footprints or incorporate them on top of each other when possible
– Pay close attention to EMI issues and compliance when making changes in
clocking or switching portions of the circuits, high-voltage areas with isolation
gap requirements, or impedance-controlled designs

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The part you need cannot be found. There is a lot at
stake in getting the product delivered.
Now what?

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Last Resort Option 1: Use Scrap Parts
 Depending on your market, application, type of part, quantities,
customer's tolerance, and/or desperation, it is possible to use parts
from factory scrap boards or other scrap resources
 This will not work for certain types of parts or products and should only
be done after full discloser to the customer of the risks involved.
 After factoring in many variables, only the customer can make the final
decision to go this route
 Additional manufacturing, testing, or screening may be required

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Last Resort Option 2: Full Redesign
 First, what assurance is there that these new ICs will still be available?
 Second, redesigning even a simple design is not trivial in practice
even if it’s so in theory
– There are layout issues
– EMI considerations
– Packaging
– Qualification
– There are normally unpleasant surprises in nearly all designs, even with
simple redesigns

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Hopefully, parts were found in a reasonable amount
of time, and you are thinking …
"How can we avoid this in the future?"

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 Reduce the use of custom highly-
integrated ICs. In general, they allow
designers to add functions and
features that may not always be of
value to the end user. They normally
just add more bells and whistles. Limit
their use when possible.
 If possible, substitute the highly-
integrated ICs with simple embedded
controllers with code written that can
be compiled to different manufactures
controllers if needed.
Methods that we use to minimize or eliminate the use of these single-sourced components
New & Future Design Resiliency to Supply Chain Issues

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 Design using common parts that many manufactures
produce
Methods that we use to minimize or eliminate the use of these single-sourced components
New & Future Design Resiliency to Supply Chain Issues

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 Use common packages. Avoid manufacture
custom packages. Look at the life cycle
 One-core ARM vs two-core ARM. Look for
more features and not use them
– They cost more, but may have availability
 Don’t design in ICs into products that really
don’t need them
Methods that we use to minimize or eliminate the use of these single-sourced components
New & Future Design Resiliency to Supply Chain Issues

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 Design in multiple footprints for the same part to provide substitution flexibility
– Separate footprints or incorporate them on top of each other when possible
Methods that we use to minimize or eliminate the use of these single-sourced components
New & Future Design Resiliency to Supply Chain Issues

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 Use firmware to reduce dependencies on sole-sourced parts
– Revisit the design. If there is a processor onboard that is required to stay and there
is extra I/O look at any possibility of off-loading hardware functions into firmware
Methods that we use to minimize or eliminate the use of these single-sourced components
New & Future Design Resiliency to Supply Chain Issues

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Good News on the Horizon
 More IC fabrication is coming back to the U.S.

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Global Risk: Dependance on Taiwan

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Summary

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Summary
 When facing supply chain challenges, find parts by exploring your options from easiest
to more difficult
 Finding the original part is most desirable
– Use another contract manufacturer to quote your boards
– Simplify part number on BOMs
– Expand your distributor base
 Finding substitution parts second best option
– Use different grade of components if possible
– Adjust your design to accept different shape original or substitution parts but use caution
 Redesign and new designs
– Make new and future designs more resilient to supply chain issues
– Keep design simple; try to use only use multi-sourced ICs when possible
– Layout circuit boards to allow component flexibility, preventing redesigns
– Use firmware to reduce dependencies on sole-sourced parts

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Our Products
Battery Packs Flex & Rigid-Flex PCBs Cable Assemblies Printed Circuit Boards
RF Products User Interfaces Flexible Heaters EC Fans & Motors

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Q&A
 Questions?
– Enter any questions you may have
in the control panel
– If we don’t have time to get to it, we
will reply via email

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Thank You
Check out our website at www.epectec.com.
For more information email sales@epectec.com.
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