EOL chip crisis: 4 production lines saved with drop-in PCB redesign.
PCB Electronics Manufacturing
EOL Drop-in Redesign · KiCad · Firmware Migration · Series Production
The Situation
A critical microcontroller (MCU) used in all 4 production lines was declared End of Life. Last purchase available for €340 per unit (vs. original €4.80). Buffer stock: 18 months. After that: equipment replacement at €280,000 per line = €1,120,000 total.
Approach: Drop-in PCB Redesign
Instead of replacement or expensive broker sourcing, we reverse-engineered the PCB and identified a modern replacement IC with compatible specifications. A drop-in redesign was developed that fits the existing mechanical space — no modifications to the machine required.
PCB Reverse Engineering
Complete schematic reconstruction, net list, BOM documentation. All signals mapped.
EOL Chip Analysis
Functional analysis of the discontinued MCU. Identification of compatible modern replacement ICs.
Drop-in Design
New PCB with modern MCU. Same form factor, same connectors, same firmware interface.
Firmware Migration
Original firmware analyzed and ported to the new MCU architecture. Full functional testing.
Production Rollout
4 production lines retrofitted within one maintenance window. No production downtime.
Kosteneinsparung
Direktvergleich
Equipment replacement (all 4 lines)
€1,120,000
Solvetronix
€158,000
Sie sparen
€962,000
Einsparung
86%
ROI typisch: < 4 months